V S SIRPURKAR

The case arose from a labour dispute at BPL Engineering Ltd., where a bus carrying loyal employees was attacked, set on fire and several persons were injured and two women died. A charge sheet was filed against 49 accused; the trial court convicted seven of them. The High Court upheld those convictions and additionally…

The Union of India floated an open tender for 275 lakh cycles of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). IDPL was awarded the entire contract, while other private firms challenged the award, arguing that the Government’s Purchase Preference Policy – which listed OCPs at serial No.51 as “Oral Contraceptive Pills (Mala D and Ma…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal by Prem Chand and others against a Delhi High Court award of Rs 39,300 per bigha as compensation for land acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, where the High Court had denied the benefit under Section 23(1A). The Court held that, because the award was made after 30 April 1…

The appellant Dasrath was convicted under Section 3048 IPC for dowry death and Section 201 IPC for concealing the death of his wife Pinki, who died from burns after kerosene was allegedly poured on her. The prosecution proved that the death was unnatural, occurred within seven years of marriage, and was preceded by cru…

The appellant Govindaraju was convicted under Section 3048 of the IPC for the death of his wife Susheela, who died from burn injuries within seven years of marriage. The prosecution alleged that the husband and his family demanded dowry, harassed Susheela for non‑payment, and subjected her to cruelty, leading to her un…

The appellant, Mahesh Chand Sharma, purchased land and obtained possession, but the accused (Panna Lal, Ram Babu and Rajkumar) colluded with an area lekhpal to have the property mutated in their names through a false report. The appellant filed a complaint under Section 156(3) CrPC, leading to investigation and a charg…

The appellant was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly beating his wife and setting her ablaze. The sole basis of the conviction was the victim's dying declaration, recorded by an executive magistrate and endorsed by the treating doctor as being made while she was conscious. The appellant contended that any do…

Three accused—Buddhu Singh, his father Ledwa Singh and brother Balchand Singh—grappled with the deceased and Buddhu delivered a single axe blow that struck the victim's head, causing fatal injuries. The trial court and the High Court convicted all of them under Section 302 IPC for murder and sentenced them to life impr…

Roopsena Khatun, a 15‑year‑old orphan girl, was convicted of murdering a child, Baby Khatun, by allegedly drowning her in a pond and stealing a silver chain from the corpse. The prosecution's case rested on four circumstantial pieces: the accused’s alleged disclosure and pointing out the body, an extra‑judicial confess…

The appellants were charged with murdering an eleven‑year‑old boy who was beaten and later found hanged in a house belonging to one of them. The trial court acquitted them, dismissing the testimony of two eye‑witnesses and the medical evidence, and questioning the timing of the FIR and the credibility of the witnesses.…

Haru Ghosh was convicted of murdering a woman (Anima) and her 12‑year‑old son (Subhankar) and of attempting to murder a 60‑year‑old man (Jeevan Krishna) under IPC sections 302, 307 and 326, receiving a death sentence and additional rigorous imprisonments. The Supreme Court examined the voluminous eyewitness and medical…

The respondents filed a suit for declaration of title, possession and permanent injunction, and an ex‑parte decree was passed against the appellants. The appellants only learned of the decree when execution proceedings began and filed an application under Order IX Rule 13 of the CPC on 8 July 1988, claiming it was with…

The husband filed a petition for divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, alleging cruelty by his wife. The trial court, and subsequently the High Court, found that the wife was the victim of cruelty and that the husband could not establish cruelty on her part. The husband also sought divorce on the ground of "irret…

The State of Punjab appealed against the Punjab & Haryana High Court’s order reducing the conviction of four accused from murder (s.302 r/w s.34 IPC) to culpable homicide not amounting to murder (s.304 Part‑I r/w s.34) and cutting their sentence to five years rigorous imprisonment. The trial court had relied on the tes…

The appellants, Gosu Jairami Reddy and others, were convicted for murder, rioting and offences under the Explosive Substances Act after allegedly hurling bombs and attacking the deceased with hunting sickles. They challenged the convictions before the Supreme Court under Article 136, arguing errors in the trial court’s…

A. Subair, a lower‑division clerk in a Kerala transport office, was accused of demanding Rs.25 as a bribe for issuing a driving licence in book form. The prosecution set up a trap, recovered currency notes of Rs.20 and Rs.5, and convicted him under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. On a…

Deomuni Sharma was convicted by the trial court and the Jharkhand High Court for attempting murder under IPC section 307 read with sections 149, 147 and 148, and for an offence under section 27 of the Arms Act. The Supreme Court examined whether his act of firing a licensed rifle in the air, allegedly to scare aggresso…

The appellant leased premises for twenty years (1969‑1989) and, after the lease expired, served a notice under Section 20 of the West Bengal Premises Tenancy Act, 1997 seeking to increase the rent. The appellant argued that, because the tenancy had lasted twenty years, the premises were built before 1984 and were used …

The Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) invited bids for the Tehri Pump Storage Plant, Phase‑II. Two consortia, Alstom Hydro France (respondent No.1) and Voith Siemens (respondent No.2), submitted bids. Alstom challenged the High Court’s order directing fresh bids on the grounds that the other consortium was not…

The appellants were convicted for the murder of Raj Kumar under Section 302 read with Sections 149, 147 and 148 of the Indian Penal Code. The prosecution's case rested on the testimony of two eye‑witnesses, Prahlad (PW‑4) and Daya Wati (PW‑5), who were alleged to be interested witnesses, and on medical evidence that th…

The dispute concerned the select list prepared by the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) for Group‑I services, which had been altered by a Tribunal and affirmed by the High Court. The Supreme Court examined whether the Tribunal’s directions should stand or be modified to avoid complications. It held that …

The dispute arose between the heirs of Murari Lal Gupta (the testator) and the family of his brother Girdhari Lal Gupta over a property jointly owned by the brothers. The testator's will declared that the ground floor would vest in his four sons and the first floor in Girdhari's family, with both brothers having contri…

The respondents, who were work‑charge employees on the Anandpur Sahib Hydel Project, were terminated after the project’s completion under Rule 20(1) and Rule 3‑A of the Certified Standing Orders. They filed a civil suit seeking a declaration that the termination was illegal, reinstatement and back‑wages. The trial cour…

The petitioner filed a writ petition under Articles 226 and 136 of the Constitution seeking quashing of an FIR (Crimes No.1133/2007) alleging offences under Sections 467, 468, 471, 420, 409 and 218 of the IPC. The High Court refused to quash the FIR but directed that bail would be considered if the petitioner surrender…

The case arose from a violent incident that followed a marriage ceremony in Vaishali district, where six accused formed an unlawful assembly and opened fire, killing Shankar Rai and injuring his brother Dineshwar Rai. The prosecution proved that the accused slapped and fisted the bride's brother-in-law, after which the…

The appellants owned 6.6 acres of land in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, which was acquired by the State under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 through notifications under Sections 4 and 6. They challenged the acquisition on two grounds: that they were not afforded a hearing under Section 5‑A before their objections were decide…

The case arose from a caste‑based election dispute in Melavalavu village where six Dalits were murdered and forty persons were charged, seventeen of whom were convicted under IPC sections 302, 149 and 34 and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The appellants challenged their convictions on the ground that the Fir…

The election for the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly was won by MD Alauddin Khan by a margin of two votes over Karam Thamarjit Singh, who filed an election petition under Section 100(1)(d)(iii) alleging impersonation of dead voters in certain polling stations and seeking a recount and declaration of the election as vo…

The suit concerned a schedule property inherited by the mother (P) after her husband's death. After P's death, her daughter I possessed the property, but upon I's death, Defendant No.1 (a relative of P) took possession and claimed ownership based on a Will dated 18‑June‑1974 allegedly executed by P in favour of I. The …

The case involved the murder of money‑lender RL and his wife during a robbery of their house‑cum‑shop, where the accused A‑1 (Gordhan Lal), A‑2 (Bharat Kumar) and A‑3 (Ramesh) were convicted of murder, robbery and related offences. The prosecution relied on a chain of circumstantial evidence, including blood‑stained cl…

The respondents, who were daily‑wage workers such as plantation watchmen, wireless operators and helpers, claimed regularisation of service after more than ten years of continuous employment. The State of Karnataka contended that the respondents were not recruited under the prescribed recruitment rules and that the reg…

The respondents were appointed as primary school teachers on an honorary basis without possessing the T.C.H. qualification, which was the minimum prescribed qualification for the post. They served continuously for a long period and later claimed regularisation of their services. The High Court allowed their claim, but …

The respondent, a State Police Service officer, was promoted to the Indian Police Service (IPS) on 9 December 1995. His basic pay in the state cadre was Rs 4,650 plus special pay of Rs 100, but after promotion his pay was fixed at Rs 4,250 plus special pay of Rs 200, resulting in a reduction. After unsuccessful represe…

The appellant, an Assistant Supervisor in a military farm, was charged with misappropriating 320 kg of soda‑bicarbonate, failing to feed the material to the animals under his charge (resulting in the death of three animals), and willfully disobeying a superior's order. A departmental inquiry, conducted in accordance wi…

The appellant, Nikku Khan (Mohammadeen), was stopped by police on 1 June 2003 and heroin weighing 740 grams was seized from his person. Laboratory analysis showed the heroin had a purity of 16.93%, equating to approximately 125 grams of pure heroin. Under the NDPS Act, the commercial quantity of heroin is prescribed as…

Mohd. Ayub Dar was convicted by a designated TADA court for conspiracy under Section 3(3) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 and for murder under Section 302 of the Ranbir Penal Code, Samvat 1989. The conviction rested primarily on a confession recorded under Section 15 of the TADA Act, w…

The tenant, after losing before the rent‑control appellate authority, filed a writ petition which was dismissed for non‑prosecution and a civil application for restoration which was also dismissed. Possession of the premises was then given to the landlords. Instead of challenging the dismissal order before a proper cou…

ELCM Exports Ltd., an export house, filed a complaint before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission seeking damages for a delayed shipment that was held in a US customs bonded warehouse, causing the foreign buyer to reject the consignment. The Commission dismissed the complaint as barred by the one‑year li…

Kolawana Gram Vikas Kendra, a minority educational institution, appointed teachers without obtaining prior approval from the Gujarat Education Department and sought payment of salaries under a 100% grant. The State refused to grant the no‑objection certificate, leading the institution to file a writ petition which was …

Citation Infowares Ltd., an Indian company, entered into outsourcing agreements with US‑based Equinox Corp., the last of which (dated 25‑Jan‑2007) stipulated that the contract would be governed by California law and that any dispute would be referred to a mutually agreed arbitrator. After Equinox terminated the agreeme…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal against a High Court order that granted bail to Munna Jaiswal, who was charged with murder (IPC s.302) and other offences (IPC s.504, s.506). The complainant, Brij Nandan Jaiswal, argued that the accused had a criminal history, pending cases, and that the High Court had granted bail…

The appellant, Saygo Bai, filed a Section 125 CrPC application for maintenance for herself and her two minor children after her husband, Chueeru Bajrangi, took a second wife and threw her out of the matrimonial home. The trial court, revision court, and High Court dismissed her claim, relying on her alleged abandonment…

The State, represented by the CBI, appealed the High Court’s acquittal of G. Prem Raj, a senior civil engineer, who was convicted for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 / Rs 50,000 in connection with a government contract. The prosecution proved that the accused demanded the money to facilitate the signing of …

The appellant, Indian Hume Pipe Co. Ltd., entered into a contract with the State of Rajasthan for laying a PSC pipeline, which contained an arbitration clause. A dispute led to arbitration, and the arbitrators awarded the appellant the claim along with interest for pre‑reference, pendente lite, and post‑award periods. …

The appellant Gopal was convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly pouring kerosene on his wife Mallavva and setting her ablaze, leading to her death. The prosecution's case relied primarily on the victim's dying declaration recorded by police officer PW‑13, which was endorsed by Dr. Noor Ahmed …

The appellant, a Muthavalli of a Wakf, challenged the compensation awarded for land acquired by the State under the Land Acquisition Act, 1898 and obtained a reference to a civil court under Section 18 of the Act. The respondent filed an application to be impleaded as a party in the reference proceedings, claiming an i…

The State of Madhya Pradesh filed an application for a stay of a contempt order that directed the payment of benefits under the 5th Pay Commission to teachers in private‑aided schools. The contempt order arose from the State's failure to implement a High Court judgment (Writ Petition No. 2029 of 2000) which had extende…

In 1978, landlord Ganga Prasad and his son Radhey Shyam allegedly threw acid on their tenant Badlu Ram, causing multiple burns. The trial court convicted the son under Section 326 of the Indian Penal Code, sentencing him to four years' rigorous imprisonment, while the father was acquitted; the High Court affirmed this …

The Supreme Court examined the murder of Patwari Virendra Singh, for which appellants Murli and Heera were convicted under Section 302 IPC read with Section 149. The prosecution’s case rested on two eye‑witnesses, Lakendra Singh (PW‑1) and Sadri Lal (PW‑2), whose statements were recorded after considerable delay and wh…

The deceased was found unconscious on the road and taken to a hospital where he allegedly regained consciousness and made an oral dying declaration accusing Waikhom Yaima Singh of assault before dying the next morning. The trial court acquitted the accused, finding the dying declaration unreliable due to lack of medica…

The appellant, Maloth Somaraju, was accused of murdering his elder brother with an axe during the night of 15 May 1999. The trial court acquitted him, but the Andhra Pradesh High Court convicted him under Section 302 IPC and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The appellant challenged the conviction, arguing that the H…

The State of Haryana invited tenders for toll collection and required bidders to keep their offers open for 90 days after the last date of receipt, with a bid security forfeitable if the offer was withdrawn during that period. Malik Traders, the second‑highest bidder, was issued a letter of acceptance on 26‑Nov‑2008 bu…

The appellant, Amitava Banerjee, was accused of strangling and killing a ten‑year‑old boy, Snehasish Mondal, and burying the body in a jungle. The prosecution relied on a series of circumstantial facts – the victim’s last sighting with the accused, the accused’s bicycle and cap recovered near the burial site, a spade t…

The appellant, a senior officer, was prosecuted under IPC sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 294(b) based on a FIR alleging that he harassed a driver who later was found dead, allegedly leaving a suicide note blaming the appellant. The Supreme Court examined the authenticity of the note and the FIR, finding the not…

The appellant Pannayar was convicted for the murder of Thilagavalli and theft of her gold ornaments under Sections 302, 392 and 397 of the IPC, based largely on circumstantial evidence. The prosecution's case hinged on (i) a witness who claimed to have seen the accused following the victim, (ii) recovery of the victim'…

The Tehri Pump Storage Plant project, handled by THDC India Ltd., faced a deadlock after two bidders, Voith Hydro GmbH (Respondent No.1) and Alstom (Respondent No.2), disputed the tender results. Respondent No.1 filed a writ petition and the Uttarakhand High Court stayed the entire tender process. The Supreme Court exa…

The appellants' lands were acquired for a bus station on a requisition by APSRTC, and compensation was awarded and later enhanced under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act. The appellants obtained a decree and filed execution petitions, which were approved based on their calculation memos. APSRTC unsuccessfully soug…

The respondents, owners of a 10,000‑sq‑yard plot in Mulund, surrendered part of the land to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay (MCGB) for an export office and were promised Transferable Development Rights (TDR) for the built‑up area and for the asphalting of the surrounding courtyard. After constructing the of…

Reliance Petroproducts Pvt. Ltd. claimed a deduction of Rs.28,77,242 for interest on loans used to purchase IPL shares in its income‑tax return for AY 2001‑02. The assessing authority disallowed the claim and initiated penalty proceedings under s.271(1)(c) of the Income Tax Act, alleging concealment of income or furnis…

In Mis. Farwood Industries (P) Ltd. v. Commissioner of Central Excise, Chennai, the appellant challenged the classification and duty liability of certain goods under the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985. The Assessing Officer and the Commissioner had affirmed the original assessment, but the appellant relied on the prec…

Suchitra Components Ltd. appealed against a Tribunal order that required it to pay excise duty from 1 March 1990. The appellant argued that, under the Central Excise Act, the liability should arise only from the date the show‑cause notice was issued on 29 August 1990. The Supreme Court referred to its recent decision i…

Safiya Bee purchased a house and its adjoining vacant land by a registered sale deed, but the respondent forcibly occupied the property. She filed an application under Section 7‑A of the Andhra Pradesh Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 1982 before the Special Tribunal seeking possession of the house and the appurtenant …

The appellant Sunder Singh was convicted for the murder of six members of his cousin's family by setting their house on fire with petrol, closing the door, and slashing one victim with a sword. The prosecution relied on the surviving victim's eyewitness testimony, the dying declarations of two victims, and forensic evi…

Virender Prasad Singh filed a petition under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. seeking re‑investigation of offences (IPC ss. 302, 201, 120‑B) alleged against Rajesh Bhardwaj after a charge‑sheet had already been filed. The Patna High Court, instead of examining the charge‑sheet, directed that a Director General of Police exam…

The Union of India filed 62 civil appeals challenging orders of Summary Security Force Courts (SSFC) and the appellate authority under Section 117(2) of the Border Security Force Act, 1968, on the ground that no reasons were recorded for the findings. The Delhi High Court had set aside those orders and directed the app…

The appellant, a British journalist, alleged that she was forcibly raped by the operator of the guest house where she was staying in Udaipur. The trial court convicted the accused under Section 376 of the IPC and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The Rajasthan High Court, however, suspended the sentence and granted b…

Birla Technologies developed software modules for Neutral Glass, which later complained of deficiencies. The respondent filed a consumer complaint alleging deficiency in services. The State Consumer Commission dismissed it, holding the respondent was not a consumer. The National Commission reversed part of that decisio…

The consumer purchased a Maruti car in Chandigarh and was charged Rs 7,000 for a catalytic converter that was neither fitted nor required in that city. The consumer sought a refund, and the District Consumer Forum ordered a refund, which was upheld by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. On appeal, the …

The appellants Sheo Shankar Singh and Umesh Singh were convicted for the murder of MLA Gurudas Chatterjee, who was shot from a motorcycle while riding pillion. The prosecution relied on the eye‑witness testimony of two riders, corroborated by seizure of the motorcycles, blood‑stained clothing, empty cartridges and medi…

Mis Elgi Equipments Ltd., a manufacturer of service‑station equipment, claimed a uniform 20% trade discount on its sales to distributors, while giving an 8% discount to sub‑dealers and a 12% commission to the distributors. The Central Excise Department issued a show‑cause notice alleging a differential discount and dem…

The appellant Niranjan Panja was convicted under Section 302 IPC for the murder of Haripada Samanta based largely on circumstantial evidence, including the alleged discovery of a blood‑stained weapon that was never produced in court and the claim that the victim was last seen with the accused. The prosecution failed to…

The case arose from a violent dispute over a mango orchard where eleven accused formed an unlawful assembly and attacked the complainant and his two sons, resulting in their deaths. The trial court and High Court convicted all accused under sections 147, 148, 302, 149 IPC and section 27 of the Arms Act. On appeal, the …

The appellant, Commissioner of Central Excise, challenged the assessee M/s Kraftech Products Inc.'s claim of exemption from excise duty on hair‑dye packed in three 3‑gram sachets per packet (total 9 g). The assessee argued that, under Rule 34(b) of the Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodity) Rules, 1977,…

The appellant, Sayaji Hanmat Sankar, returned home intoxicated and, during a sudden quarrel, struck his wife with a brass pot and threw a burning kerosene lamp at her, causing severe burns. The victim, wearing a nylon sari, caught fire and later died; her dying declaration stated that the accused attempted to douse the…

The mother, Ruchi Majoo, filed a petition under the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 seeking interim custody of her 11‑year‑old son who had been residing in Delhi for three years, while the father, Sanjeev Majoo, contested jurisdiction, claiming the child’s ordinary residence was in the United States and invoking the prin…

Santosh, a married woman, died from severe burns after allegedly being set alight with kerosene by her husband, brother‑in‑law (Puran Chand) and aunt‑in‑law. A dying declaration was recorded by a First Class Judicial Magistrate after a doctor certified her mental fitness. The trial court convicted all three under IPC s…

The petitioners, belonging to ten communities in Uttar Pradesh that were reclassified from Scheduled Castes (SC) to Scheduled Tribes (ST) by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, 2002, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a stay of the Act and permission to contest the upcoming sta…

The respondent was appointed as Executive Director (Marketing) of Hindustan Photo Films with a one‑year probation period, which was later extended by three months. During probation the employer repeatedly informed him of performance deficiencies and gave him opportunities to improve, but his performance remained unsati…

The appellant and a co-accused entered the deceased's house at night and the co-accused poured acid on her, causing severe burns and eventual death. The trial court convicted the appellant under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC, along with other offences, and sentenced him to life imprisonment. On appeal, the Supre…

The parents of a CRPF constable who died in service filed a writ petition seeking Rs.5 lakh compensation for loss of earnings and mental agony. The High Court awarded Rs.1 lakh, noting the family had been denied proper information about the death for over 20 years. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the quan…

The appellants Dilip Premnarayan Tiwari, Manoj Paswan and Sunil Ramashray Yadav were convicted for the brutal murder of three persons and the grievous injury of others during an attack motivated by opposition to an inter‑caste marriage. The prosecution relied mainly on the testimony of two injured eye‑witnesses, who id…

The appellant, a Pakistani national and member of Lashkar‑e‑Toiba, was convicted for planning and executing a terrorist attack on the Red Fort on 22 December 2000, which killed three Indian Army soldiers. The prosecution proved the conspiracy and the murders through extensive circumstantial evidence, forensic links bet…

The case involved the murder of two brothers, sons of PW‑7, and the arson of her property by a group of accused persons. The trial court convicted all seven accused under sections of the IPC including 302 and 436, but the High Court acquitted one accused (A‑6) and upheld the convictions of the remaining. The appellants…

The appellant Jiten Besra was convicted under Section 302 IPC for the murder of his parents‑in‑law based on three circumstantial points: his presence in the village on the night of the killings, a strained relationship with the victims, and alleged blood stains on his clothing. The Supreme Court examined the evidence a…

The wife (Manisha Tyagi) appealed a High Court Division Bench order that granted her husband (Deepak Kumar) a decree of divorce on the ground of cruelty under Section 13(1)(i‑a) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The trial court and the High Court Single Judge had found both parties at fault and awarded judicial separati…

The appellants, Sohan Singh and Mohan Singh, were convicted under Section 376(2)(g) of the IPC for gang raping the prosecutrix on 23 July 1983. The accused challenged the conviction on grounds of delayed FIR filing, absence of physical injuries on the victim, and alleged family enmity leading to false implication. The …

Tata Industries Ltd. and its subsidiary Apex Investments (Mauritius) sought appointment of arbitrators under Section 11(6) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, alleging breach of a Shareholders Agreement with Grasim Industries Ltd. The dispute centred on termination notices alleging breach of non‑competition …

The State of Madhya Pradesh prosecuted eight persons for the murder of Toophan Singh, alleging a land dispute and an unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapons. The trial court convicted Prema, Khilan, Gainda and Sangram Singh under IPC sections 302 and 34, sentencing them to life imprisonment, while acquitting four o…

Kannabiran Pillai executed settlement deeds in 1938, 1939 and 1943 creating a life interest in his second wife Kumudammal over certain properties, with the remainder to pass to Sri Ramakrishna Mutt after her death. Kumudammal occupied the property and collected rents from 4 March 1939, while Pillai managed it on her be…

Dozco India Ltd entered a distributorship agreement with Doosan Infracore Co. Ltd, a Korean company. The agreement contained an arbitration clause (Article 23) stating that disputes would be finally settled by arbitration in Seoul, Korea, under ICC Rules, and Article 22 made Korean law the governing law. When the respo…

The appellant, brother of the daughter‑in‑law who had filed a dowry harassment case under Sections 498A, 406 IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act against her father‑in‑law, was accused by the father‑in‑law of stealing two gold bangles during a police raid on the matrimonial home. A complaint was filed, the magistrate took…

The appellants, members of a Mitakshara joint family holding 33.95 acres of land, were initially ordered to retain only 18 acres, with the remainder deemed surplus. An appellate authority later held that the appellant's son, being a major on the relevant date, should be treated as a separate family, a decision that was…

The appellant, Mankamma, a mother‑in‑law, was convicted under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly abetting the suicide of her daughter‑in‑law, Bindu. The prosecution relied on the testimony of eleven witnesses, including the deceased's father, brother, sister‑in‑law, a classmate, and the appellant's own …

The Supreme Court examined the acquisition of land for the Yamuna Expressway project, where the State of Uttar Pradesh, through YEIDA, acquired over 1,600 hectares for an expressway and 25 million square metres for five industrial parcels. Petitioners argued that the acquisition was not for a public purpose, that it wa…

The complainant filed an FIR alleging dowry demands, criminal breach of trust and illicit relations against Vijeta Gajra under Sections 498A and 406 of the IPC. Gajra sought to quash the FIR via a petition under Article 226 and Section 482 of the CrPC, arguing she was not a "relative" of the complainant or her husband.…

The Supreme Court examined two questions arising from the selection of principals for aided/affiliated degree and postgraduate colleges in Uttar Pradesh. First, it held that the High Court was correct in quashing the appointment of a Divisional Commissioner as an enquiry officer because a parallel state inquiry would d…

The appellant, a widowed woman, filed a suit in 1990 seeking declaration of ownership of land inherited from her deceased husband and alleging that a consent decree dated 26‑03‑1985, which transferred the property to the respondents, was procured by fraud. The trial court, after evaluating testimonies of four witnesses…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of Section 6 declarations issued after Section 4 notifications for land acquisition in Delhi, where the notifications were dated November 1980 and the declarations were issued in 1985‑86. The appellants argued that the three‑year limitation for issuing a Section 6 declaration sho…

The legal representatives of the deceased Joginder Singh filed a claim petition under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act against the driver, the vehicle owner and the insurer, alleging that a Tata 207 vehicle owned by the respondent and driven rashly caused Singh's death. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal dismissed…

The Supreme Court heard appeals arising from a single‑bench order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court that dismissed the State's revision petition and allowed the respondents' revision petition, thereby restoring an earlier revenue order concerning tenancy rights over 190 acres in Gachibowli Village. Both parties conteste…

The respondent Bharti filed a criminal complaint under IPC sections 406, 498A read with 114 against her husband Rajesh, his parents Neelu and Krishan Sarup Chopra, and a sister‑in‑law, alleging dowry demands, retention of jewellery and physical assault. The Judicial Magistrate took cognizance of the offences; the accus…

Four elderly men were convicted under Section 395 of the Indian Penal Code for a dacoity in which the loot amounted to Rs.2,860 cash, one Iota and one glass, and two persons were injured by firearms. The trial court sentenced eleven accused to life imprisonment and the four appellants to five years' rigorous imprisonme…

The appellant, Daleel Singh, was convicted under Section 20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for possession of 6.5 kg of charas seized from his house. He challenged the conviction on the ground that the police had not complied with the mandatory requirements of Section 42, which mandates tha…

The appellants were acquitted by the Sessions Court for murder and related offences under IPC ss. 148, 302, 504 r/w 149. The High Court set aside the acquittal, convicting four of the accused based on the testimony of a child witness (PW‑7) and other corroborative evidence, despite the trial court’s doubts about the wi…

K. Ramachandran was acquitted by a Sessions Court of murder and related offences. The victim's father filed a criminal revision, while the State later filed an appeal against the acquittal but sought condonation of an 801‑day delay, which the High Court Division Bench rejected, effectively dismissing the appeal. A Sing…

The State of Uttar Pradesh appealed against the acquittal of Shahrunnisa (the mother) and Siraj Khan (the husband) in a case where two young boys were murdered as part of a superstitious ritual. The trial court had convicted all four accused under Sections 302, 307 and 34 of the IPC, but the Allahabad High Court upheld…

The appellant, Rajinder (Raju), was convicted under IPC sections 366 and 376 for forcibly kidnapping and raping an 18‑year‑old girl after misrepresenting that he would take her to a doctor. The girl testified that he dragged her to a secluded spot, gagged her, untied her clothing and committed sexual intercourse, causi…

The appellants, a group of seven men, attacked D-1 and D-2 who had come to harvest a crop on land the appellants claimed to own. Armed with ballams, gadasas and lathis, the accused inflicted multiple fatal injuries, causing the victims to die on the spot. Eye‑witnesses, the victims' son and nephew, testified that the a…

Jogesh Chandra Das executed a Will in 1983 appointing his wife Parul Bala Das and son Samir Chandra Das as executors. During probate proceedings the executors sold land covered by the Will; Samir signed as a witness to the sale deed. The Calcutta High Court held that by signing as a witness Samir had implicitly renounc…

The case arose from a land dispute over Gat No. 170 in Maharashtra, where a mob of 75‑100 persons clashed with the complainant party, resulting in two deaths and injuries to members of both sides. The trial court convicted 35 accused under various IPC provisions including murder (s.302) committed by an unlawful assembl…

Nine persons were tried for the murder of Shaktipada Kayal in 1983. The trial court acquitted all accused, but the High Court upheld the acquittal of eight and convicted the appellant, Umapada Kayal, under Section 304 Part‑II IPC based on eye‑witnesses and post‑mortem evidence, sentencing him to ten years' rigorous imp…

The accused, Parshotam Lal and Ved Parkash, were convicted under Section 366 of the Indian Penal Code for kidnapping and raping a minor girl, Tripta, and sentenced to four years' rigorous imprisonment. The High Court reduced the sentence to one year and six months. During the pendency of the appeal, the victim filed an…

A criminal complaint was filed against a medicine‑manufacturing company and its directors alleging that the drug was defective due to fungal growth, constituting a breach of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The company and its directors sought to quash the complaint under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The Guj…

The appellant, Boddella Babul Reddy, was convicted by the Andhra Pradesh High Court for murder (Sec. 302 IPC) arising from a factional clash in which he was alleged to have hurled a bomb that killed a coolie. The trial court had acquitted all accused, including the appellant, on the ground that the prosecution evidence…

In a criminal proceeding under Sections 406 and 114 IPC, the trial court had framed charges against respondents No.2‑4 and later, under Section 319(1) Cr.P.C., added respondent No.5 as a co‑accused. The newly added accused sought to have the proceedings against him commenced afresh from the inquiry stage (Section 244) …

Indresh Kumar alleged that Inspector Ramphal and six other police officers tortured him and his family in 1992. The trial court convicted Ramphal under IPC sections 218, 342 and 323, while acquitting the six co‑accused. The High Court later set aside Ramphal’s conviction and acquitted all accused, dismissing Indresh Ku…

The appellants Sunil Kumar, Tilak Singh and Ram Singh were convicted under Section 304 Part II read with Sections 147 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code for the death of Salim, who died from head injuries inflicted with sticks. The prosecution relied on the testimony of three eye‑witnesses, including the deceased's fathe…

The Supreme Court examined the murder conviction of Arun Kumar Sharma under Section 302 IPC for the death of his wife Sushma Devi. The prosecution's case rested on the testimony of a single eye‑witness, PW‑1, whose statements were found to be casual, contradictory and unexplained, especially his failure to report the i…

The appellant, a government watchman, assaulted his wife and mother with a sharp weapon and caused the death of his one‑year‑old daughter during a sudden quarrel. He pleaded insanity under Section 84 of the IPC, but the trial and High Courts rejected the plea due to lack of credible medical or behavioural evidence. The…

The State of Maharashtra prosecuted Ravikant Shankarappa Patil and others for alleged intimidation, forced marriage (Nikah) and rape of a student, invoking IPC sections 376, 386, 148, 452/149, 366/149, 342/149, 323/149, 506(2)/149 and Section 25(1)(a) of the Arms Act. The trial court convicted them, but the Bombay High…

The appellant's 3.10 acres of land were acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for a canal project. In addition to the compensation for the land, the appellant claimed Rs 6,46,579.95 for a water reservoir and sluice gate, though an earlier claim of only Rs 25,000 had also been made. The Land Acquisition Officer …

The appellants, Abhay Singh Chautala and Ajay Singh Chautala, were tried for offences under Sections 13(1)(e) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, alleging accumulation of disproportionate assets while serving as Members of Legislative Assembly. No prior sanction under Section 19 of the Act was obtained, and …

During the 1993 Mumbai communal riots, miscreants fired from the rooftop of Suleman Bakery at a police picket. The Joint Commissioner of Police, R.D. Tyagi, led a Special Operations Squad (SOS) that broke open the bakery’s door after the occupants refused to open it, resulting in 12 injuries and eight deaths. An FIR wa…

The case involved a massive spurious liquor tragedy in Kerala where 31 people died and many were injured after consuming liquor adulterated with methyl alcohol. The accused, a group of brothers and their associates, were charged under the Abkari Act, particularly Section 57A, for mixing or permitting the mixing of a no…

The case concerns the murder of Vivekanandan in Coimbatore, allegedly orchestrated by Venkatraman (A‑1) out of a love rivalry and carried out by hired assassins Kumar (A‑9), Pavunraj (A‑10) and Prince Kumar (A‑11). The trial court convicted all accused under sections 302, 34, 109 and 120B IPC; the High Court affirmed m…

The Supreme Court examined whether Priyanka Estates International Ltd. and its directors could lawfully construct six to eight floors in a building for which only a five‑and‑a‑half‑floor plan had been sanctioned by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC). The Court held that the Standing Appellate Committee's order di…

In an eviction suit under the Madhya Pradesh Accommodation Control Act, the appellant Dashrath Rao Kate sought to be impleaded as the legal representative of the deceased owner Sukhiabai on the basis of a Will. The trial court, after a full inquiry under Order 22 Rule 5 of the CPC, held the Will proved and allowed the …

The Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) was unbundled on 1 July 2002 into several private distribution companies (DISCOMs) including North Delhi Power Ltd (NDPL) and BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd, with a holding company DPCL. Employees of the former DVB feared loss of service benefits, leading to tripartite agreements between the Gover…

The appellant, a Mandal Development Officer, was charged under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for demanding a Rs.500 bribe in connection with a loan for a community irrigation well. The complainant alleged that the demand was made on 31‑12‑1993 and reiterated on 6‑1‑19…

The respondent, a government engineer, was charged with misconduct and suspended. He repeatedly requested copies of documents relied upon in the charge‑sheet, but the department failed to provide them, violating Rule 7(5) of the Uttar Pradesh Government Servant (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1999. The enquiry officer a…

The Pillayar P.K.V.K.N. Trust, which had acquired 76.12 acres and created a layout of 910 plots, retained 40 plots for its own use. After the Town Panchayat merged with Madurai City Municipal Corporation, the original plan showing those 40 plots as reserved for a school was re‑validated, but a later detailed developmen…

The appellant Sushil Kumar was convicted of murdering his wife and two young children and was sentenced to death. The prosecution proved the murders through eyewitness testimony, forensic evidence, and the appellant's own disclosure memo, while the alibi he claimed was rejected as contradictory. The Supreme Court exami…

The State of Madhya Pradesh filed criminal appeals against a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that quashed police applications under Chapter VII‑A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, seeking attachment and forfeiture of properties of Balram Mihani and others alleged to be derived from local offences such as gamblin…

The Meerut Cantonment Board floated a tender for the right to collect toll tax on commercial vehicles. Respondents 1 and 2 (K.P. Singh and Gaurav Traders) submitted the highest bid of Rs 1.02 lakh per day, which was approved. Respondent 5 filed a writ petition seeking a fresh tender and offered to pay Rs 1.25 lakh per …