S KHEHAR

The appellant Kadamanian @ Manikandan and his co‑accused were charged under IPC sections 201, 302, 376 and 404 for the murder of M. Jayalakshmi, whose body was later recovered. The appellant made an extra‑judicial confession to the village administrative officer (PW‑12) detailing the crime and the removal of the victim…

The Supreme Court revisited its earlier directions prohibiting the grant of liquor licences within 500 metres of national and state highways, hearing numerous interlocutory applications for extensions or modifications. It held that the Court’s directions, grounded in public‑health policy and the constitutional right to…

The State of Haryana employed conductors and drivers under the Haryana Transport Department (Group C) Haryana Roadways Service (Amended) Rules, 2003, initially paying them as daily wagers, then as contract labourers, and finally on the regular pay‑scale. One hundred ninety‑five employees filed writ petitions seeking re…

The landlords filed a suit for recovery of possession of a shop on the ground of bona‑fide need to start a kirana business for their unemployed sons, alleging willful default and change of usage by the tenants. The trial court and the first appellate court upheld the landlords' claim, finding a genuine need and grantin…

A dacoity was committed in which ten accused stole gold, silver and cash. One of the accused, Shivaji Kale, stole four silver chips weighing one kilogram each and sold them to jeweller Pramod Bhanudas Soundankar, the appellant. The appellant was charged under Sections 411 and 412 of the Indian Penal Code for dishonestl…

Jeles Education Society (appellant) ran a private school and advertised a vacancy for a Trained Graduate Teacher of English and Sanskrit, reserving the post for backward classes. R.T. Bhitale (respondent), an Other Backward Class candidate, was appointed on a purely temporary basis from 7 December 1987 to 30 April 1988…

The appellant, Dokiseela Ramulu, a landless cultivator, claimed that he and his ancestors had possessed a parcel of agricultural land in Sangam Agraharam village long before the 1959 notification under Section 3 of the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1948, and therefor…

The Supreme Court examined challenges by landowners to the Municipal Corporations of Bhopal and Indore who, under Section 305 of the Madhya Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1956, issued notices to remove or set back building portions projecting beyond the regular line of a public street for a Bus Rapid Transit System…

Madura Coats Ltd sought to enforce a winding‑up order against Modi Rubber Ltd. The Company Court ordered winding up, but Modi Rubber filed a reference to the Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) under the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985 (SICA). The High Court stayed the windi…

The case involves a violent incident on 9 Oct 1983 in which a group of 35 accused, including the appellants (accused Nos. 1‑5, 10 and 25), armed themselves and attacked Satyaban and an independent witness, PW 4 Muralidhar Kuila, before abducting Satyaban, who was never recovered. The prosecution relied on family member…

The Himachal Pradesh Government introduced the 1999 Pension Scheme for employees of state-owned corporations, replacing the Employees' Provident Funds Scheme, 1995. After a high‑level committee found the scheme financially unsustainable, the Government issued a notification on 2 December 2004 repealing the scheme, allo…

M/s Northern Minerals Ltd. and its directors were prosecuted under the Insecticides Act, 1968 after a seized sample of their product was declared mis‑branded by the State Pesticide Testing Laboratory. The appellants filed a show‑cause notice, indicated their intention to contest the analyst's report, and sought a re‑an…

Pooja Rana, born in 1993, married Sachin Kumar Rana of her own choice, after which her parents and maternal uncle filed an FIR against her husband under IPC sections 363, 366, 328 and 504. She filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution seeking the quash of the FIR and direction to register a criminal ca…

Vindu Kishore Sharma, appointed as a Reader at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, was promoted to Professor under the Personal Promotion Scheme of 25‑02‑1984. The University later revoked the promotion on 05‑06‑2008, holding that Sharma had not exercised the required written option to remain governed by the 1984 scheme…

The Supreme Court examined a batch of appeals challenging a Punjab High Court full bench decision that denied daily‑wage, ad‑hoc and contractual employees the right to equal pay with regular staff. The Court clarified that the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’ applies to temporary employees who are appointed agai…

The case concerned the inter‑se seniority of Sub‑Inspectors of Police recruited by the Andhra Pradesh Recruitment Board under a single notification dated 22‑Jan‑1991. Candidates were deputed for training in two batches, one commencing on 15‑Jul‑1991 and another on 14‑Jun‑1992, and the later batch was excluded from the …

The Customs and Central Excise Department created a separate Data Entry Operator cadre to implement computerisation, later merging it back with the original ministerial cadre under the TA Rules, 2003 and STA Rules, 2003. This merger altered the inter‑se seniority of officers, disadvantaging those who remained in the mi…

The complainant, a promoter‑director of a biomass power company, filed a private complaint alleging conspiracy, false declarations and cheating under Section 628 of the Companies Act, 1956 and Sections 1208 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code. The Special Judge for Economic Offences took cognizance, but the Andhra Pradesh…

The case concerned the dismissal of Deputy Superintendent Ved Mitter Gill and four other jail officials after four under‑trial terrorists escaped from Model Jail, Burail, Chandigarh through a 94‑foot tunnel. The authorities invoked clause (b) of the second proviso to Article 311(2) of the Constitution to dispense with …

H.L. Gulati, a former Senior Accounts Officer, was found to have authorized 36 fraudulent claims amounting to about Rs.42.24 lakh during 1992-94. While criminal courts acquitted him, a departmental enquiry concluded that he was negligent but not guilty of grave misconduct. The punishing authority invoked Rule 9 of the …

The Punjab State Electricity Board recruited 21 Accounts Officers by direct recruitment, reserving seats for candidates from the backward class. Surinder Singh, a Chartered Accountant, secured 164 marks and was appointed under the backward‑class reservation. Respondent Anil Kumar Uppal challenged the appointment, alleg…

Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd. presented a cheque drawn by Inderpal Singh on Union Bank of India, Chandigarh, at IDBI Bank, Indore, which was later dishonoured. The company served a legal notice and filed a criminal complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act in the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Indor…

The Management of Doaba Arya Senior Secondary School advertised six JBT/ETT teacher posts but failed to require the statutory qualification of matriculation plus two years JBT training prescribed under the Punjab Privately Managed Recognised Schools Employees (Security of Service) Rules, 1981. The private respondents w…

The case arose from a reference to a nine-judge bench to determine whether the right to privacy is a constitutionally protected fundamental right under the Indian Constitution, particularly in light of the Aadhaar scheme's collection of biometric data. The petitioners argued that privacy is an intrinsic part of the rig…

The Supreme Court examined the renewal of a 30‑year lease granted by the Ujjain Development Authority (UDA) to Mis Ajar Enterprises Private Limited (Ajar) after the leasehold interest was acquired from the liquidated IISCO. The Court held that Rule 24 and Rule 25 of the Madhya Pradesh Nagar Tatha Gram Nivesh Vikasit Bh…

Ultra Tech Cement Ltd filed a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act against Rakesh Kumar Singh and another before the Metropolitan Magistrate, 11th Court, Calcutta. The issue was whether that magistrate retained jurisdiction after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dashrath Rupsingh Rathod v. State…

The Uttar Pradesh Avas Evam Vikas Parishad (Vikas Parishad), a statutory housing corporation, sought to replace its contributory provident fund with a pension/family pension and gratuity scheme for its employees. After receiving conditional approval from the State Government in 1996, the State later withdrew its permis…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Central Government's Rule 7 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995 – which mandates that investigations under the SCST Act be conducted by a police officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police – is valid, and whether th…

Thana Singh, an undertrial accused of an offence under the NDPS Act, had been detained for over twelve years without trial despite repeated bail refusals. The Supreme Court examined whether such prolonged detention violated the right to speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution. Relying on earlier decisions tha…

The Supreme Court examined a dispute arising from a 1999 technology‑transfer agreement between the government‑run research institute ARCI and private firm Nimra Cerglass. Nimra alleged that ARCI made false representations about having a perfected extruded ceramic honeycomb technology, leading it to invest heavily and l…

The Supreme Court, by a 3:2 majority, set aside the practice of 'talaq-e-biddat' (triple talaq) as unconstitutional. The case arose from a petition by Shayara Bano, who was divorced by her husband through triple talaq. The majority held that triple talaq is manifestly arbitrary and violates Article 14 of the Constituti…

The case involves the kidnapping and murder of a seven‑year‑old boy, Kamlesh, whose body was discovered on a hillock after he failed to return from school. The prosecution relied solely on circumstantial evidence, including eyewitnesses who saw the accused with the child, recovery of blood‑stained clothing from one acc…

The Supreme Court entertained a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a direction that no industry requiring a "consent to operate" from a Pollution Control Board be allowed to function unless its primary effluent treatment plant (ETP) is functional and meets prescribed norms. The Court held that such industries may o…

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) filed criminal complaints against Classic Credit Ltd. and other private parties under the SEBI Act, 1992, which originally required trial before a Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the first class. The SEBI (Amendment) Act, 2002 altered Section 26(2) t…

Sheikh Hussein executed a gift deed on 26‑04‑1952 gifting an immovable property to his wife Banu Bibi. The deed contained conditions restricting alienation and stipulating that the property would revert to the donor or his heirs if Banu Bibi had no children. After Banu Bibi sold the property to V. Sreeramachandra Avadh…

Transparency International India and Centre for Media Studies filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging contempt proceedings initiated by a Judicial Magistrate, Class I, Kangan, Jammu & Kashmir, against them for a study that alleged 92% of the lower judiciary in the State was corrupt. The magistrate issued a s…

The appellant, a retired post‑office employee, was convicted for misappropriating Rs 1,35,240 under Section 477‑A IPC read with Sections 3(1)(c) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The trial court, instead of imposing a custodial sentence, released him under the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 on a bo…

India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd., the management of a manufacturing unit, challenged the competence of 113 workmen to be represented before the Industrial Tribunal by five elected workmen. The dispute centered on whether Section 6‑1 of the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 and Rule 40 of the Uttar Pradesh Industr…

The appellant Union of India challenged the High Court's order granting disability pension to Talwinder Singh, a former infantry soldier who suffered a left‑eye injury while on annual leave at his home. The injury was examined by the Release Medical Board, which concluded the disability was 30% permanent but neither at…

The State of Punjab sought recovery of monetary benefits that had been mistakenly overpaid to a large group of government employees, including the appellant Rafiq Masih. The employees had received the excess amounts due to an administrative error and had not committed any fraud or misrepresentation. The Supreme Court e…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Karnataka State Government, while modifying road‑transport schemes under section 102 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, must record reasons for its decision. The Court held that modification of a scheme is a quasi‑judicial function and, therefore, the State must give a reasoned orde…

The petitioner, a former Additional District and Sessions Judge, alleged sexual harassment and victimisation by a sitting High Court judge and challenged the inquiry process initiated by the Chief Justice of the High Court. The Chief Justice had constituted a two‑judge committee to conduct an in‑depth probe, which the …

The appellants were recruited as Steno Sub‑Inspectors in the Bihar Police and, after five years of service, were appointed on reversion to the general line as Sub‑Inspectors. They claimed that their seniority in the general line should be counted from their original appointment dates as Steno Sub‑Inspectors, relying on…

Advocate-on-Record Mohit Chaudhary, who had been practising since 2009, made an agitated mention before the Supreme Court alleging that the Court's Registry colluded with the opposite party to hastily list a matter for the purpose of bench hunting. He produced a letter to the Chief Justice containing false averments th…

The appellant Brij Lal, a government employee, and his co‑accused Kashi Ram, armed with pistols, went to the residence of Mohan Ram where a crowd had gathered to prevent them from killing Mohan Lal. Brij Lal fired at the unarmed crowd, causing the deaths of Om Prakash, Sultan Bhat and Munni Devi, and injuries to others…

The Supreme Court heard a batch of writ petitions filed by the Supreme Court Advocates‑on‑Record Association seeking reforms in the collegium system for appointing judges to the higher judiciary. Various stakeholders, including senior counsel and the Bar Council of India, submitted suggestions on transparency, eligibil…

The appellants Balu@Balasubramaniam and Raja were convicted of murder and assault under Sections 302, 326 and 324 read with Section 34 of the IPC. The Supreme Court examined whether the prosecution had proved a common intention among the accused as required by s.34. While eye‑witness testimony established that the appe…

The Supreme Court of India considered the constitutional validity of the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014 and the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014, which sought to replace the collegium system of appointing judges to the higher judiciary with a six-member National Judicial Appointments…

The Supreme Court examined the applicability of the Uttaranchal Government Servants (Criterion for Recruitment by Promotion) Rules, 2004 to promotions from Group D to Group C posts. It held that Rule 1(3) excludes the need for Public Service Commission consultation for such promotions, and Rule 2 gives the 2004 Rules a…

K. Srivatsan, a government employee on deputation to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, was suspended on 3 December 2007, the suspension was revoked, and he was again suspended on 29 February 2008, remaining under suspension until his superannuation on 30 June 2008. After retirement, the CBI investigated alleged finan…

Ronobroto Roy filed a petition for divorce under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, alleging that his wife Dipanwita Roy had an extra‑marital relationship and bore a child with another man. To prove the allegation of infidelity, he applied to the Family Court for a DNA test of the child, which was dismissed, but the…

Pronab Chakraborty, a police inspector, faced departmental charges of disproportionate assets and other misconduct. He retired on superannuation on 31 January 2008, and sought to halt the continuation of the departmental proceedings, arguing that Rule 10(1) of the West Bengal Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefit) Rul…

The Supreme Court examined whether the directors of Gaurav Agrigenetics Ltd. violated Section 12(1B) of the SEBI Act by operating a collective investment scheme without a registration certificate. It held that Section 12(1B) creates an absolute, mandatory bar for new operators from 25‑Jan‑1995 until they obtain a certi…

The appellant, a 29‑year‑old professional driver, lost his left leg in a bus accident and claimed compensation under s.166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Tribunal fixed his annual income at Rs 15,000 and a 60% loss of efficiency, awarding Rs 2,75,000. The High Court raised his income…

The State of Karnataka appealed the acquittal of the father, mother and brother of Dattaraj in a dowry death case where the victim, Savita, died of burn injuries within seven years of marriage. The trial court had convicted all four accused under Sections 498A, 304B read with Section 34 of the IPC and Sections 3, 4 and…

The appellants purchased a 9.7 sq m shop in 1980 and later served notice to the tenant for non‑payment of rent and claimed a bona‑fide need to use the premises for their own betel‑nut and betel‑leaf retail business. The tenant contested, arguing that the appellants were jointly operating a family business, had acquired…

The appellants borrowed Rs.3,000 from the respondents and executed a sale deed and a reconveyance agreement in 1964. After the respondents failed to execute the reconveyance despite repeated notices, the appellants sued for specific performance of the agreement in 1970. The trial court allowed the amendment of the plai…

The case arose from political turmoil in Arunachal Pradesh where the Governor, without the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, preponed the 6th session of the Legislative Assembly from 14 January 2016 to 16 December 2015 and issued a message directing the manner of proceedings, including the removal of the Spea…

The appellants were admitted to MBBS courses in Madhya Pradesh through a systematic fraud involving computer manipulation, roll‑number tampering and assistance from meritorious candidates. Vyapam cancelled their admissions, a decision upheld by the High Court and earlier by this Court. The appellants sought relief unde…

Videocon International Ltd. appealed against SEBI's order that some of its second appeals to the High Court were not maintainable after the amendment of Section 15Z of the SEBI Act. The amendment, effective 29‑Oct‑2002, shifted the second appellate forum from the High Court to the Supreme Court and limited the scope to…

The appellant, Kala (Chandrakala), was convicted along with her father for the murder of her husband Murugesan, alleged to have been strangled with a saree and his body disposed under a canal bridge. The prosecution's case rested on circumstantial evidence, an extra‑judicial confession made by the appellant to the dece…

The appellant, Rambraksh (Accused No.2), was convicted under IPC sections 302 read with 34 and 201 for the murder of Ramsevak. The prosecution's case relied solely on circumstantial evidence and the "last seen" theory, asserting that the deceased was last seen with the appellant on 7 October 1992 and his skeletal remai…

The petitioner, a District & Sessions Judge, challenged his premature retirement order issued under Rule 24 of the Higher Judicial Service Rules, 2009, which relied on an Annual Confidential Report (ACR) for 2009 that rated him "Average". The Supreme Court held that the 2009 ACR was not a genuine assessment because it …

The Arne Safe Society of Chandigarh challenged a 2017 notification that re‑classified Chandigarh's V‑1, V‑2 and V‑3 roads—previously designated as state highways—as major district roads, alleging that the change circumvented the Supreme Court's directions in State of Tamil Nadu v. K. Balu (2016) which barred liquor lic…

The appellants were convicted for the murder of Prabhunath and the assault of his son Moti Lal, based on the prosecution’s claim that they attacked the victims with firearms, an axe and lathis. The trial court and the High Court upheld convictions under sections 302, 307, 324, 147, 148 read with 149 of the IPC. On appe…

Kamrup Industrial Gases Ltd entered into a contract with Diesel Locomotive Works (Union of India) to supply minimum quantities of oxygen and acetylene gas each month. When the buyer failed to lift the stipulated amounts, the seller was entitled to sell the surplus or, if unsold, to blow off the gas and recover the proc…

The landlord, Dalip Kaur Brar, leased a residential premises to the respondents for three years at a rent of Rs.25,000 per month, increasing to Rs.28,000 after the first year. The tenants fell into arrears from November 2005, but the Rent Controller made a provisional assessment directing them to deposit only Rs.19,000…

Mahinder Dutt Sharma, a police constable, was dismissed for a 320‑day unauthorized and willful absence. After serving 24 years with commendations, he sought compassionate allowance under Rule 41 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, citing family deaths, his wife's cancer and his own ill‑health. The Depu…

The appellant, Bipinchandra Gamanlal Chokshi, was detained on 11 June 1976 under Section 3 of the COFEPOSA Act, with a simultaneous declaration under Section 12A during a national emergency. The declaration was revoked on 21 March 1977 when the emergency ended, and the appellant was released the same day. He later chal…

M/s Bhagwati Vanaspati Traders, a sole proprietorship of B.K. Garg, bought a six‑year National Savings Certificate (NSC) in 1995. On maturity in 2001 the postal authorities refused to pay the Rs 10,075 due, contending that an NSC could be issued only in an individual’s name and the certificate was therefore invalid. Th…

The appellant A. Tajudeen was prosecuted under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 for allegedly receiving foreign exchange without an authorized dealer. The Enforcement Directorate relied on a purported statement made on 20‑April‑1989, statements recorded during a raid on 25‑Oct‑1989 and while in custody on 26‑O…

The Supreme Court considered two criminal appeals filed by the Attorney General against the High Court’s order allowing the recall of all prosecution witnesses in a rape trial after the accused’s statement under Section 313 CrPC had been recorded. The accused argued that his earlier counsel was incompetent and that the…

The Supreme Court had earlier ordered the closure and relocation of industrial units operating in residential or non‑conforming areas of Delhi, directing that such premises be sealed and only de‑sealed upon an undertaking not to resume industrial activity. Respondent Sanjay Gupta, the occupier of premises at 87/1 Villa…

Indrani Wahi, the sole nominee of her deceased father Biswa Ranjan Sengupta under Section 79 of the West Bengal Co-operative Societies Act, 1983, sought transfer of his cooperative society share. The Deputy Registrar refused, contending that a married daughter did not fall within the definition of "family" under Rule 1…

The case concerned the murder of Jagsir Singh on 17 October 1998. The prosecution alleged that Gurjit Singh alias Gora and Surjit Singh alias Sukha, armed with spades (kassi), struck the victim on the head and face after being urged by their parents, Gurdial Singh and Surjit Kaur, to teach the victim a lesson. The accu…

Sat Parkash was convicted under IPC sections 363, 366, 366-A and 376 for allegedly kidnapping, forcing marriage, procuration and raping a 15‑year‑old girl, Sushila, who later died by suicide. The appellant challenged the conviction on the basis of Sushila's suicide note, which stated she left home of her own free will …

The appellants, originally promoted to the Middle Management Grade Scale‑II (MMGS‑II) in 1996, opted for a horizontal transfer to the Specialist Electronic Data Processors Cadre within the same grade in September 1997. Other officers were promoted vertically from the Junior Management Grade Scale‑I (JMGS‑I) to the same…

The Supreme Court suo motu initiated contempt proceedings against Justice C.S. Karnan of the Madras High Court for repeatedly issuing letters and orders that alleged corruption and caste-based discrimination against numerous judges, including Supreme Court judges, and for publicly scandalising the judiciary. The Court …

The appellant and respondent were married in 1991. The respondent obtained an ex‑parte decree of divorce in January 1994, which was later set aside in February 1996, thereby restoring the marriage. The appellant filed a criminal complaint under IPC s.376, which was dismissed without trial, and subsequently filed anothe…

The respondents' daughter died in a motor accident on 02‑02‑1977. A claim petition under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 was filed before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal on 23‑02‑2005, more than 28 years after the accident. The Tribunal entertained the claim, and the High Court upheld it, holding that th…

Major General H.M. Singh, the senior most Major General in the DRDO, was recommended by a Selection Board for promotion to Lieutenant General. As he was due to superannuate on 29‑Feb‑2008, the President granted two extensions of service under Army Rule 16A to allow his promotion to be considered. The Appointments Commi…

The Supreme Court entertained interlocutory applications filed by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students' Union and Youth for Equality Students seeking to hold student‑union elections that were stayed on the ground that they did not comply with the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations. The Court examined whether a…

The appellants' land was acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and they were awarded compensation and a solatium by the Reference Court in 2001, but no interest was granted on the solatium. During execution proceedings they claimed interest on the solatium, which the execution court and the High Court rejected.…

The Supreme Court was asked to resolve compensation issues for project‑affected families (PAFs) of the Sardar Sarovar Project in Madhya Pradesh. Of the 4,998 PAFs, 681 families had not received any compensation under the Special Rehabilitation Package, while 1,358 families who had received both installments were later …

The victim Laxman was shot and killed inside his shop on 26 November 2002, with six accused alleged to have entered the shop armed and assaulted him. Five other accused (A2, A4, A7, A8, A11) were alleged to have been standing outside the shop, preventing people from entering or moving along the street. The prosecution …

The Supreme Court examined a batch of cases where individuals obtained public employment or educational admissions on the basis of caste or tribe certificates that were later invalidated by Scrutiny Committees. The Court held that when a benefit is secured by claiming membership in a reserved category, the invalidation…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Appellate Tribunal under the SARFAESI Act could condone a delay in filing an appeal under Section 18(1). It held that Section 18(2) incorporates the provisions of the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993, including the proviso to Section 20(3) which …

The case concerned the arrest and alleged illegal detention of Neeraj Kumar between 24‑06‑1999 and 28‑06‑1999 by two Deputy Superintendents of Police, Surinderjit Singh Mand and P.S. Parmar. The prosecution, after obtaining sanction under Section 197 of the CrPC for the later arrest on 28‑06‑1999, sought to take cogniz…

The case arose from an FIR filed by Sonia Gupta under IPC §§498A, 506 and the Dowry Prohibition Act §§3,4, alleging harassment by her parents‑in‑law and other relatives. Four police investigations produced three closure reports, after which a fourth investigating officer filed a charge‑sheet despite a stay order, and t…

Baldev Singh, a tractor driver, was stopped at night in 1990 and 33 gunny bags containing poppy husk were recovered from the trolley attached to his tractor. The prosecution relied solely on the testimony of ASI Ram Singh, a police witness who had signed the recovery memos, and on documentary evidence; the investigatin…

The Supreme Court examined an arbitral award granting Buildworth Pvt. Ltd. price‑escalation, idling‑charges and interest against Assam State Electricity Board. The Board argued that the award exceeded the contractual ceiling for escalation, ignored the claimant’s contributory delay, and that interest could not be award…

Deve Sugars Ltd. was ordered to be wound up and its assets were taken over by an Official Liquidator. The State Bank of Mysore sought to recover a debt under the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 and obtained leave from the Company Court (High Court, Madras) on 10 March 2000, subject t…

An inspection of Tata Steel's Growth Shop and Fabrication Yard revealed violations of the Factories Act, 1948 and Bihar Factories Rules, including lack of overtime slips, absence of leave books for contract labour, and several canteen deficiencies. Cognizance was taken against the occupier, Heman Madhusudan Nerurkar, a…

The Supreme Court examined a criminal complaint filed by members of the All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association alleging that the Association's former President, Secretary and Treasurer misappropriated its funds. After investigation, a charge‑sheet was filed under Sections 406, 408, 409, 477A and 120B IPC. The ac…

The Supreme Court examined whether mining leaseholders, whose operations were suspended for lack of environmental clearances, retained a subsisting right to mine. It held that a lease remains subsisting unless a State Government order declares it lapsed, and that the lease period may be deemed extended under Rule 24A(6…

The Supreme Court examined whether a policy decision of the Uttar Pradesh Government dated 14‑June‑2006, which provided a flat‑rate electricity subsidy for power‑loom bunkers, could be extended by the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission to industries using HV‑2 connections. The Court held that the State Gov…

The case concerned the applicability of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 to the newly created State of Jharkhand after the Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000. The petitioners challenged a Jharkhand Government notification that sought fresh registration of pharmacists under Section 31 of the Act, arguing that the First Register prepa…

The Pharmacy Council of India challenged the constitution of a Registration Tribunal by the newly formed State of Chhattisgarh under Section 30 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948, which was intended to prepare a new First Register of pharmacists and to renew registrations of pharmacists already listed in the First Register of t…

The Supreme Court examined the appeal of three accused (Nalini, Kishore Bhadke and Satish) convicted of murder, abduction and related offences arising from a land‑transaction dispute that led to the killing of Raman. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence – motive established by the land deal, the victim’s l…

The appellant, Sujoy Mitra, was charged with rape of an Irish citizen (PW5) and the trial court recorded PW5's testimony via video conference. The appellant challenged the procedure under Section 482 of the CrPC, arguing it was unfair and seeking access to the video recording. The High Court had prescribed a set of saf…

M/s Adani Agri Fresh Ltd. (appellant) supplied fruit to M/s RMS Fruits & Co. (respondent) and obtained three unconditional bank guarantees from State Bank of Mysore to secure payment. When the respondent failed to pay, the appellant invoked the guarantees, prompting the respondent to obtain a permanent injunction restr…

The State of Madhya Pradesh appealed against a High Court order that reduced the conviction of Golu Raikwari and co‑accused from murder (s.302 IPC) to culpable homicide not amounting to murder (s.304 Part I IPC) and cut their life sentences to ten years rigorous imprisonment. The deceased, Hari Choudhary, was attacked …

The case concerned the murder of Ashok Kumar, for which accused Nos. 2‑5 were convicted under Sections 147, 148, 149, 302 and 397 of the Indian Penal Code. The prosecution’s case hinged on the testimony of two alleged eyewitnesses, PW 25 (Mirza Majid Beg) and PW 24 (Mohamed Shakir), who claimed to have seen the assaila…

The murder of Aarushi Talwar and the subsequent killing of domestic help Hemraj led to a criminal trial before the Special Judicial Magistrate (CBI) in Ghaziabad. Dr. Rajesh Talwar and Dr. Nupur Talwar filed separate transfer petitions under Section 406 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, seeking to move the trial to De…

The father of a 13‑14‑year‑old girl, Saraswati Kumari, filed a complaint after her body was recovered following a disappearance from a mela. Police recorded statements of several witnesses about a month after the incident, identifying the accused who allegedly kidnapped, raped and murdered the girl. The Additional Chie…

The appellant's premature baby, Sharanya, was not screened for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) despite being a high‑risk infant, leading to permanent blindness. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) found the State of Tamil Nadu, its government hospital and two doctors negligent and awarded Rs 5 …

The Supreme Court examined whether sections 62 of the Copyright Act, 1957 and 134 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 allow a plaintiff to sue in a district court where it resides or carries on business even when the cause of action has also arisen at its principal place of business. The Court held that these provisions creat…

P. Krishna Murthy, a Superintendent in the Sericulture Department, was permitted to retire voluntarily effective 1‑May‑2004 while disciplinary proceedings were pending. He later applied to revoke his retirement, which was rejected, and a disciplinary order imposed a 25% pension cut. He appealed the pension cut, and the…

The Supreme Court examined a writ petition filed by Suraz India Trust, which had repeatedly approached the Court with 64 public‑interest litigations and several contempt petitions, none of which resulted in any relief. The Court found that the Trust’s actions amounted to an abuse of the judicial process, wasting valuab…

The petitioners were tenants of a commercial premises under a conducting agreement and were ordered by the High Court to vacate within a year, later receiving a four‑month extension. They filed an unconditional undertaking to vacate, but subsequently sought a review and a further five‑year extension, claiming the High …

Tej Prakash Jarath filed a suit in 1992 against his relatives. The defendants filed written statements on 11 November 1992 and, after issues were framed in October 1993, filed a counter‑claim on 17 June 1996. The trial court allowed the counter‑claim, but the Uttarakhand High Court set it aside, relying on Rohit Singh …