Constitution of India

The Supreme Court considered appeals and special leave petitions filed by several teachers' training institutes in Tamil Nadu claiming minority status under Article 30(1) of the Constitution. The State had refused to recognise them because they did not satisfy the conditions laid down in the Tamil Nadu Minority Schools…

The petitioner, Rohit Chaturvedi, was convicted for murder under Sections 120B and 302 IPC and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2007. After serving more than twenty‑two years, he sought premature release, which was recommended by the Uttarakhand State Government but rejected by the Ministry of Home Affairs in a letter…

The Supreme Court, exercising suo moto jurisdiction, took notice of a surge in reported child rape cases and issued directions in 2019 to establish exclusive POCSO courts in districts with more than 100 cases, along with measures for forensic support, sensitisation of officials, and public awareness. Over subsequent ye…

The Supreme Court heard a Special Leave Petition filed by Ishwar Chanda Sharma challenging a High Court order that directed the appointment of a receiver for Sri Giriraj Temple in Mathura with a preference for a person from the Vaishnav Sampradaya rather than a practising advocate. The Court examined the long‑standing …

The appellant, Gayatri Project Ltd., entered into a works contract with the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation and invoked arbitration under Clause 67.4 of the contract, resulting in a 2011 award in its favour. The respondent challenged the award under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, …

The husband filed a petition under Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act seeking divorce, and the parties later reached an amicable settlement before a Supreme Court mediator, wherein the husband paid alimony and the wife agreed to dissolve the marriage. The wife subsequently withdrew from the settlement, claiming she wo…

The appellant was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on 3 October 2023 without the arrest memo containing the specific grounds of arrest, only generic reasons. He was presented before a Remand Judge on 4 October 2023 and remanded to police custody, but the copy of the remand application and …

The Supreme Court examined the recruitment process for the Punjab Superior Judicial Service conducted under the 2007 Rules, where candidates appeared for a written test and viva‑voce. The appellants, all General‑category candidates, claimed they were unfairly excluded after the merit list was altered post‑viva, and arg…

The appellant, Thoti Manohar (A‑2), was convicted along with his brother (A‑1) and cousin (A‑3) for the murder of Kuppuswamy Modali and related offences. The prosecution alleged that A‑1 had an illicit relationship with the victim's cousin, leading to a series of disputes, cattle raids, and a violent confrontation on 2…

The appellant borrowed Rs 1,00,000 from the respondent and issued a cheque which was dishonoured on 2 December 2003. The respondent received intimation of the dishonour on 3 December 2003 and issued a legal notice on 2 January 2004, i.e., on the 31st day. The appellant was convicted under Section 138 of the Negotiable …

The State of Haryana issued notifications under Section 4 read with Section 17(4) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 to acquire land for an outer ring road and green belt, affecting land owned by Mahender Pal and others that contained residential structures, ancestral samadhis and a temple. The petitioners objected and …

The Supreme Court examined the retrospective amendment of the Delhi High Court Establishment (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1972, which altered the selection process for Assistant Registrar by creating three separate seniority lists and a rotational promotion scheme. The amendment, notified on 7 August …

Maharani Devi, the widow of a deceased railway storeman, sought a compassionate appointment for her nephew under a 1991 Railway Board circular that allowed near‑relatives of an issueless employee to be appointed. The Railway Board amended the circular on 13 December 1995, deleting the provision for near‑relatives, and …

The husband and father of the petitioners were daily‑wage workers in the Uttar Pradesh Jal Sansthan who died while in service. Their dependents sought compassionate appointments under the Uttar Pradesh Recruitment of Dependents of Government Servants Dying in Harness Rules, 1974. The High Court directed the department …

The Delhi Bar Association challenged a notification issued by the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi that divided the territory into nine civil districts, alleging that the Lt. Governor lacked authority and that the decision was a policy matter not subject to judicial review. The Supreme Cou…

The State of Bihar appointed +2 lecturers, some of whom were untrained, and fixed separate pay scales for trained and untrained lecturers based on a Fitment Committee's recommendation. Untrained lecturers challenged this classification as violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, arguing that the distinction was arb…

The Greater Kailash Part‑II Welfare Association challenged the municipal sanction and various clearances granted to DLF Universal Ltd for converting the Savitri Cinema Hall into a mini‑cinema‑cum‑commercial complex, alleging that the plan would cause traffic congestion and violated parking standards under the Delhi Mas…

The petitioners, non‑graduate veterinary practitioners, challenged the applicability of Section 30 of the Indian Veterinary Council Act, 1984, which limited practice to degree‑holders and allowed only "minor veterinary services" for diploma or certificate holders. They argued that this violated their Article 19(1)(g) r…

The case concerned the promotion of S.B. Bhattacharjee to the post of Executive Engineer in Mizoram. The dispute centered on the interpretation of clause (g) of paragraph 3.4 of an Office Memorandum dated 10‑10‑2002, which prescribed which Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) should be considered by the Departmental Prom…

Brij Mohan, a labourer, was riding on a trolley attached to a tractor that was transporting earth to a brick kiln when the driver negligently lost control, causing Mohan to fall and sustain grievous injuries. The tractor was insured by Oriental Insurance Company only for agricultural use, and the insurer argued that th…

The appellant, Management, Pandiya Roadways Corp. Ltd., dismissed its class‑IV employee N. Balakrishnan for alleged theft after a disciplinary enquiry found him guilty. The Labour Court refused to approve the dismissal under Section 33(2)(b) of the Industrial Disputes Act because the employer had not complied with Clau…

The case concerned the promotion of a teacher to Headmaster in a Tamil Nadu private school governed by the Tamil Nadu Recognised Private Schools (Regulation) Act, 1973 and the 1974 Rules. The Managing Committee had evaluated merit and ability and appointed the appellant, Sethuraman, but the senior respondent, Venkatara…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutionality of the Tamil Nadu Tax on Consumption or Sale of Electricity Act, 2003, holding that the State has legislative competence under Entry 53 of List II and that the Act does not conflict with the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948. The Court clarified that the repeal‑and‑savings …

The State of Punjab prosecuted Junior Engineer Sohan Singh under Sections 13(1) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 200 to release an electric connection. The trial court convicted him, but the Punjab & Haryana High Court acquitted him, finding no proo…

The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) levied a development fee on property owners under Sections 119(1) and 119(2)(c) of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976. The petitioners challenged the levy, arguing that the statute did not expressly empower AUDA to impose such a fee, that there was…

Mohan Lal Tripathi, who was directly elected President of the Rae Bareilly City Municipal Board, challenged a no‑confidence motion passed by the Board under Sections 87‑A and 47‑A of the Uttar Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1916. He argued that a President elected by the entire electorate could not be removed by a smaller…

The Supreme Court entertained writ petitions filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta under Article 32, seeking relief from severe air pollution caused by mechanical stone crushers operating in Delhi and adjoining areas of Haryana. The petitioners alleged that the stone‑dust and smoke emitted by the crushers endanger…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutionality of Section 25‑N of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which requires prior governmental permission before an employer can retrench workmen in large establishments. The Court held that the right to retrench is an integral part of the employer’s Article 19(1)(g) right to c…

The petitioners, Janshruti (People’s Voice), filed a writ under Article 32 seeking gender‑neutral guidelines for domestic violence complaints and a declaration that Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (now Section 84 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) is unconstitutional. The Court examined whether the provision violate…

The petitioners, retired officers of the Himachal Pradesh State Forest Development Corporation, challenged the denial of pension benefits under the 1999 corporate sector pension scheme, arguing that the Supreme Court’s decision in State of H.P. v. Rajesh Chander Sood, which upheld a cut‑off date of 02‑12‑2004, was per …

The Court examined a petition seeking direction to relocate the critically endangered Asiatic lion from its sole habitat in Gir, Gujarat, to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, as a second home for long‑term survival. Scientific studies by the Wildlife Institute of India and the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) …

The respondents, who were serving as Raj Bhasha Adhikari on an officiating basis, filed a writ petition in the Allahabad High Court seeking to quash the Raj Bhasha Adhikari Recruitment Rules 2005 and the letters directing them to appear for a Limited Internal Competitive Examination, and also sought a mandamus to restr…

The case arose when an elected MLA, Parithi Llamvazhuthi, was granted conditional bail to take oath in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, but an application filed by Inspector Rajendra Kumar sought cancellation of that bail on the basis of a false statement that the MLA was in police custody. The MLA alleged that the Commissione…

The State of Uttar Pradesh, through the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority, acquired land belonging to the appellants for a planned industrial development of Gautam Budh Nagar, invoking Sections 17(1) and 17(4) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, thereby dispensing with the hearing provision of Section 5‑A. …

The appeal arose from a partition suit concerning the self‑acquired property of the deceased Govinda Singh, who allegedly left a will in favour of his son (the appellant). The daughters contested the will’s validity and sought partition of the dwelling house. The key legal issue was the effect of the Hindu Succession (…

The dispute concerned 564 bighas of land that had been jointly purchased and later divided among several tenure holders, whose names were not correctly entered in revenue records. The appellants sought correction of the records, leading to a series of applications before the Sub‑Divisional Officer, Assistant Recording …

The appellants, former officers of the Life Insurance Corporation of India, were charged under IPC sections 420 and 409 and Stamp Act sections 64 and 69 for allegedly purchasing insurance stamps from vendors outside Uttar Pradesh, causing a loss to the State. They filed writ petitions seeking quashing of the FIR, which…

The Madhya Pradesh State Co‑operative Dairy Federation Ltd., a society incorporated under the Madhya Pradesh Cooperative Societies Act, ordered the compulsory retirement of 52 employees who had completed 20 years of service. Sixteen employees challenged the order and were awarded 50% back wages by a Single Judge, while…

The appeal challenged a High Court order that interfered with pending civil suit proceedings concerning an injunction over disputed land. The Supreme Court examined whether Article 226 writ jurisdiction extends to private disputes between individuals, particularly whether a writ of certiorari can quash civil court orde…

The appellant State of Jharkhand challenged a High Court order that had granted a compassionate appointment to Shiv Karpal Sahu, whose father, a non‑government employee, was killed in a terrorist attack on 19 May 2000. The High Court had applied circulars issued by the Bihar Government (9 Aug 2000) and the Jharkhand Go…

The State of Andhra Pradesh prosecuted P. Khaja Hussain for murder under Section 302 of the IPC, alleging he poured kerosene on his wife and set her on fire. The trial court convicted him based on two dying declarations—one recorded by a magistrate and another by a police constable an hour later. The Andhra Pradesh Hig…

The Supreme Court examined whether circular letters issued by the Uttar Pradesh Government in 1995 and 1996 could be treated as the "notified orders" required under the Uttar Pradesh Absorption of Retrenched Employees of Government of Public Corporations in Government Services Rules, 1991, which mandated a cut‑off date…

The dispute concerned the alleged sale of 85,000 quintals of molasses from five state‑controlled sugar mills to Vardan Linkers at Rs.127 per quintal. The Assistant Cane Commissioner had issued an allotment letter permitting the lift, which was later stayed and cancelled by the Secretary (Sugar) after finding irregulari…

The Zoroastrian Co‑operative Housing Society Ltd. (appellant) was formed to provide housing for members of the Parsi community and its bye‑law 7 limited membership to Parsis. Respondent No. 2, a qualified member, sought to transfer his share to Respondent No. 3, a non‑Parsi builder, but the Society refused permission u…

The Tamil Nadu Kalyana Mandapam Association, representing mandap‑keepers who let out halls and provide catering, challenged the levy of service tax on their services under Sections 66 and 67 of the Finance Act, 1994 and Rule 2(1)(d)(ix) of the Service Tax Rules, arguing that the tax was in substance a tax on land (a St…

On 23 July 1994 a mob of 300‑400 persons armed with guns and petrol bombs attacked the house of informant Ganesh Singh in Amarpur, Bihar, killing six members of his family. The informant identified 19 persons, including the appellants Chandra Bihari Gautam and others, and the prosecution charged them under IPC Section …

Five trade apprentices of the North Eastern Railway, who completed their apprenticeship as fitters under the Apprentices Act, 1961, were initially appointed as temporary Fitters (Group C) on 28 May 1990. On 7 June 1990, the Railway cancelled these appointments and placed them in Group D posts (Carriage Khalasi) based o…

ITC Paper Boards Ltd. appealed against the CEGAT order denying it full exemption from excise duty on paperboard manufactured since 1979. The exemption was granted to printing and writing paper by a 24 April 1981 notification and later extended to paperboard by a 2 April 1984 notification, with a clarifying 9 November 1…

The Railway Board invited tenders for cast steel bogies and three large manufacturers (H.D.C., Mukand and Bharatiya) quoted an identical low price, leading the Tender Committee to suspect a cartel and recommend a counter‑offer of Rs. 76,000 per bogie. Post‑tender, the three firms offered a further reduced price of Rs. …

The Supreme Court considered multiple writ petitions filed by industrial consumers, including Ferro Alloys Corp., challenging the terms of electricity supply imposed by various State Electricity Boards. The issues revolved around the validity of Section 49 of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948, the reasonableness of a …

The Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission prepared a select list of twenty candidates for the post of District Munsif under the 1967 Recruitment Rules. The State Government approved only the first thirteen names and appointed them, while refusing to approve the remaining seven despite petitions and a High Court ord…

Gopal Singh challenged a notice under the Uttar Pradesh Imposition of Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1960, claiming that 12.35 acres gifted to his adult, unmarried, disabled daughter should be excluded from the ceiling calculation. The Prescribed and Appellate Authorities held that the gift was not made in good faith an…

The petitioner, P.N. Duda, sought initiation of contempt proceedings against former Law Minister P.S. Shiv Shankar for remarks made in a Bar Council speech that allegedly disparaged the Supreme Court. The petition also impleaded the Attorney General, Solicitor General, and a newspaper editor, alleging refusal of consen…

The appellants, ministerial officers of district courts in Ferozepur and Zira, were dismissed after taking part in slogans against a judicial magistrate and the district judge. They appealed the dismissal under Rule X of Chapter 18‑A of the Punjab & Haryana High Court Rules, which provides a supervisory administrative …

The petitioners, a teacher and vice‑principal of a Delhi aided school run by a linguistic minority society, were suspended by the school management on charges of fund diversion without obtaining prior approval of the Director of Education as required by section 8(4) of the Delhi School Education Act, 1973. The petition…

The Agricultural Produce Market Committee of Bhind, Madhya Pradesh, passed a resolution under section 32(5) of the Madhya Pradesh Krishi Upaj Mandi Adhiniyam, 1973, to abolish the "Kachhi Adhat System"—a commission‑agent based marketing arrangement. Two petitioners, a commission agent and an agriculturist, challenged t…

The petitioners challenged the selection of candidates for MBBS, BDS and engineering courses in Jammu & Kashmir, alleging that the State's addition of villages to the backward‑area list was arbitrary, that temporary urban residence disqualified reservation claims, that the 85‑point written test and 15‑point viva voce a…

The appellants were convicted by two District Judges whose appointments were later declared invalid for violating Article 233 of the Constitution. The appellants argued that the judgments rendered by those judges were void and that the Constitution (20th Amendment) rendered them a surplusage. The Supreme Court held tha…

The Supreme Court reviewed the acquittal of Kalki and Amara by the Rajasthan High Court, which had set aside their convictions on the ground that the sole eye‑witness, the deceased’s wife, was a "highly interested" witness and that her testimony contained material discrepancies. The Court held that being related to the…

The appellant, a temporary Sub‑Inspector of Police, was removed from service after his name was placed on a list of officers of low reputation during a police‑wide purge. He had earlier faced disciplinary proceedings for a second marriage, which were quashed. He challenged the termination as a punitive dismissal violat…

The Coffee Board conducts export auctions of coffee and requires registered exporters to furnish security deposits and, under a 1977 circular, contingency deposits or bank guarantees equal to the sales tax that would have been payable despite the exemption granted by Section 5(3) of the Central Sales Tax Act, 1956. The…

Justice (Retd) Raj Rahul Garg retired as a District Judge on 31 July 2014 and was appointed a High Court Judge on 25 September 2014, retiring from the High Court on 4 July 2016. She filed a petition under Article 226 seeking that her entire judicial service, including the 54‑day gap, be counted for pensionary benefits.…

The deceased Rahul Pundlik Meshram was last seen with the accused at the house of PW‑8 and later found dead with multiple stab wounds. The trial court convicted the three surviving accused under IPC sections 302 and 34 based solely on circumstantial evidence, including the "last seen" theory, recovery of a weapon, and …

The appellants were recruited to the post of Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) by nomination in 2014, underwent training and were appointed in 2016, while the respondents were promoted to ACF in 2014 without undergoing the training. The appellants sought declaration that their appointment and service should be coun…

The appellant, a judicial officer appointed in 2013, granted bail on 27 April 2015 in a corruption case, which led to a departmental enquiry alleging misconduct and extraneous motives. While the enquiry was pending, a Higher Judicial Committee recommended his discharge and a Full Court ordered his termination on ground…

An FIR was lodged against Fakhrey Alam under several IPC sections, the Arms Act and Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The police filed a charge sheet for the IPC and Arms offences within the 180‑day period but delayed the UAPA charge sheet beyond that period, filing it after 211 days. The a…

The appellant filed a criminal appeal after the Allahabad High Court granted bail to the second respondent, who was accused of murdering the appellant’s son. The FIR detailed a brutal knife attack resulting in eight ante‑mortem injuries and death, and the accused had initially been declared a fugitive before surrenderi…

S. Sreesanth, a registered cricketer, was alleged to have participated in spot‑fixing during an IPL match on 9 May 2013, accepting Rs 10 lakh to concede 14 runs in an over. A one‑man BCCI commission prepared a preliminary report based on video and telephone recordings, and after Sreesanth’s release from police custody,…

The All India Trade Union Congress and affiliated unions filed a writ petition seeking regularisation and statutory benefits for casual workers employed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in Uttarakhand. The High Court initially granted the petition and, on appeal, directed the Union of India to frame a detailed sc…

The case concerned an election petition filed by Sharadendu Tiwari challenging the election of Ajay Arjun Singh. The dispute centered on whether the petition was accompanied by an affidavit in the statutory Form 25 as required by the proviso to Section 83(1)(c) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and whether…

The appellant, Rajesh Patel, was convicted under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code for raping his class‑mate who was working as a nurse. The prosecution's case rested solely on the prosecutrix's testimony, allegedly corroborated by her mother, while key witnesses – a friend who claimed to have rescued the victim and…

The appellants were charged under Sections 498A and 406 of the IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act after a matrimonial dispute. While the criminal case was pending, the parties reached a mutual settlement, and the complainant wife filed an affidavit supporting the settlement. The trial court rejected the application to d…

The petitioner was detained under Section 3(1)(i) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 after customs seized a large quantity of dutiable cell‑phones from his baggage at Chennai Airport. He claimed the goods were not his, that the customs statement was made under coerc…

Four life convicts who had served more than 18 years (over 24 years including remission) filed writ petitions under Article 32 challenging the State Government's refusal to grant them premature release. The petitioners argued that, under Rule 591(29)(4) of the West Bengal Rules for Superintendence and Management of Jai…

The U.P. State Road Transport Corporation removed driver Subhash Chandra Sharma from service for a serious misconduct involving intimidation of an assistant cashier while intoxicated. The Labour Court, after finding the departmental inquiry valid, substituted the removal with a lesser penalty of one wage‑increment stop…

The case concerned whether technicians appointed before 1 January 1986 were entitled to have their training period counted for salary increments under Government O.M.s dated 22 Oct 1990 and 31 Mar 1992. Different benches of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had given conflicting rulings, with the Bangalore, Jab…

H.B. Singh, who served in the Indian Army from 1959 to 1976 and later joined the Haryana State Government in 1978, challenged a 1976 amendment to the Punjab National Emergency (Concession) Rules, 1965 that narrowed the definition of "Military Service" to only those who enlisted during the 1962 emergency, thereby withdr…

Gayatrilaxmi Bapurau Nagpure, a medical course aspirant, claimed membership in the Halba Scheduled Tribe and applied to the Scheduled Tribe Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee for a caste certificate. She submitted 17 documents, including school certificates, caste certificates of her father, and a 1981 government ord…

The Madras High Court, on a petition under Art. 226, quashed the Commissioner of Prohibition & Excise’s order rejecting two licence applications and, by mandamus, directed the Commissioner to grant a licence to Majestic Bottling Company despite the requirement of prior State Government approval under Rule 7 of the Tami…

Jagdish Prasad, a tenant, was evicted by his landlord Angoori Devi on the allegation that he had sub‑let the premises to Pavan Trading Company. The trial court presumed sub‑letting solely from a photograph showing the son of the trading company’s proprietor in the shop, and ordered eviction. The Additional District Jud…

Jitendra Singh Rathor, a librarian, was terminated for misconduct and filed a complaint before the Industrial Tribunal under Section 33A of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Tribunal held that although misconduct was proved, termination was unwarranted and ordered reinstatement with half of the back wages. The emp…

The Supreme Court of India struck down the Electoral Bond Scheme and related amendments to the Finance Act 2017, which had introduced anonymous financial contributions to political parties. The Court held that the scheme violated the right to information of voters under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, as informat…

The Supreme Court examined the practice of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) of issuing operative orders without accompanying reasons, which prejudiced the parties and violated their right to a fair hearing under Article 21 of the Constitution. In the present case, the NCDRC pronounced an oper…

The State of Punjab appointed Harish Dhanda as Chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission, prompting a public‑interest writ petition under Article 226 alleging lack of integrity, political affiliation and absence of requisite administrative experience. The Punjab & Haryana High Court Division Bench referred speci…

L. Parameswaran, originally a casual artisan in the Electrical Division of Indian Railways, was promoted to ex‑cadre posts in the Mechanical side (Diesel Mechanic Grade II and later Grade I). The Railway Administration later adopted a policy to repatriate ex‑cadre employees to their parent cadre after four years, and c…

The Supreme Court examined the recruitment of ten District & Sessions Judges (Grade‑II) in Andhra Pradesh, where the High Court’s Administrative Committee had fixed a 75‑mark written exam and a 25‑mark interview, but the written test was actually conducted for 100 marks and the interview marks were added, creating a to…

The case concerned a group of platform mazdoor who had worked for the Assistant Salt Commissioner for periods ranging from ten to thirty years and claimed regularisation after completing more than 240 days of work per year. The department argued that the workers were engaged on daily wages on behalf of salt licencees u…

The Ghaziabad Development Authority (appellant) terminated Ashok Kumar (respondent), a daily‑wage Amin, on 1 May 1990. Kumar claimed the dismissal violated Section 6‑N of the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which requires a workman who has worked at least 240 days in a year to be given one month’s notice o…

The appellant, B.K. Muniraju, sought cancellation of a sale deed and restoration of land that had been transferred to respondents 4 and 5, invoking the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, 1978. The Assistant Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner held that t…

The petitioners, all serving life sentences, had completed twenty years of continuous detention including any remission and sought premature release under the West Bengal Rules. Their applications were rejected by the Government of West Bengal primarily on police objections concerning the likelihood of reoffending. The…

The National Council for Cement and Building Materials, a society, was challenged by its employees’ association to prepare certified standing orders under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. The society argued that it was not an “industry” within the meaning of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and …

Ritesh R. Shah, a reserved‑category candidate, applied for admission to the MBBS course in Maharashtra for 1995‑96 but was denied because other reserved‑category applicants were admitted against the reserved quota despite being eligible on open‑merit grounds. He challenged the state’s selection rules, arguing that coun…

The respondents were appointed as temporary Investigators‑cum‑Computer under a scheme that was later cancelled, but they were allowed to continue in service by an interim order of the Allahabad High Court. While still serving, they filed a writ petition seeking the same salary as regular investigators, invoking the pri…

The respondent was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, having been in custody since September 1983. She filed an application in the High Court seeking premature release, and the High Court ordered her release on the ground that the State had failed to file a counter‑affidavit despite multiple adjour…

The Registrar of Co‑operative Societies (appellant) was directed by the Tamil Nadu Government to discipline Joint Registrar F.X. Fernando (respondent) for alleged irregularities. The vigilance department delayed its inquiry, after which the Government amended Rule 12 of the Tamil Nadu Civil Service (Classification, Con…

The appellants, heirs of a deceased shareholder of Calico Dying & Printing Mills Ltd., sought transmission of 100 shares after obtaining an heirship certificate. The company, having amended its Articles of Association in 1977 to empower the Board to refuse any transfer without reason, declined to register the transmiss…

The Mathura Refinery Mazdoor Sangh, representing about 900 casual labourers employed under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1971, sought parity in wages and conditions with regular refinery employees. Some workers had contracts directly with the refinery through co‑operative societies, while others w…

The Supreme Court examined appeals by two groups of landowners whose properties in Aurangabad were acquired for a medical college under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The Land Acquisition Officer had awarded very low compensation, which was enhanced by a Civil Judge and later varied by the High Court. Both the claiman…

The Supreme Court treated a journalist’s letter alleging assault and torture of women prisoners in Bombay police lock‑ups as a writ petition under Article 32. After directing an independent social‑work researcher to verify the allegations, the Court found that legal aid to indigent prisoners is a constitutional imperat…

The appellant society, representing homebuyers, challenged the NCLAT's order admitting Takshashila Heights India Private Ltd (the corporate debtor) into the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) on a petition filed by Edelweiss Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (the financial creditor). The society also contest…

Biswajit Das, a Development Officer of the Life Insurance Corporation of India, was convicted under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act for fraudulently obtaining insurance settlements by falsely claiming the insured were dead. He was sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonm…

The respondents were engaged as casual labourers in the Ordnance Factory Board from 1981 to 1983 and were disengaged because they were not recruited through the Employment Exchange as required then. They filed petitions before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) seeking re‑engagement and regularisation, relying o…

The case involved challenges to State legislation levying cesses on coal-bearing land, mineral-bearing land, brick-earth, and tea estates in West Bengal, and on mineral rights in Uttar Pradesh. The Constitution Bench, by a 4:1 majority (Lahoti, J. for himself, Khare CJI, Agrawal and Lakshmanan JJ.; Sinha, J. dissenting…

The appellant was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC based primarily on the testimony of a child witness who was seven years old at the time of the incident. Both the trial court and the Allahabad High Court held the child’s evidence to be clear and trustworthy and affirmed the conviction. On appeal, the Supreme…

The complainant S.S. Kumar filed a criminal revision against the conviction of Jagdeeshan under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for two dishonoured cheques amounting to Rs. 4,50,000. The trial magistrate sentenced the accused to imprisonment till the rising of the court and a fine of Rs.5,000, which the c…

Amar Nath Bansal, originally a civilian clerk in the Jind State Civil Service (1943), later served in the merged state of PEPSU, then Punjab, and finally Haryana. The Jind Service Regulations of 1945 fixed the retirement age at 62, but after the formation of PEPSU the Raj Pramukh issued Ordinances No. 1 and No. 16 of 2…

The State acquired land in Etmadpur Village under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and the Collector awarded compensation under Section 11. Ramesh Singh and Hari Singh sought a reference under Section 18, which was dismissed, while Ruma Singh obtained a higher award after a reference and a decree under Section 26. The pe…

Vidya Charan Shukla was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment exceeding two years, but his conviction was stayed pending appeal. He filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha election, which was accepted despite an objection that he was disqualified under Section 8(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. He was…

The dispute concerned the eligibility of Dinesh Singh for inclusion in Register A‑1 of the Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) under Rule 9 of the 2008 Rules. The State argued that the cut‑off date of 1 November 2018 applied uniformly to all eligibility criteria, including the condition that a candidate must not b…

The appellant, a director of Bharti Retail, was charged with misbranding food products on 29 November 2010 under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (PFA). Although the PFA was still in force, the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) – including its penalty provision (Section 52) and overriding clause (…

The Supreme Court examined the Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna, a project to widen about 900 km of national highways in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, which includes three strategic border roads. Environmental groups challenged the project before the National Green Tribunal, leading to the formation of a High Po…

The appellants, manufacturers and dealers including M/s. Tata Motors Ltd., challenged tax assessments levied by the State of Jharkhand under Section 6 of the Bihar Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1994, which imposed tax on motor‑vehicle chassis while in the possession of the manufacturer or dealer before delivery. The key…

A news report of a security breach at Sanganer Airport led the Rajasthan High Court to take suo moto cognizance and register a public interest writ under Art. 226. While the case was pending, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued a circular exempting certain VVIPs from pre‑embarkation security checks; sub…

The petitioners, a group of advocates, filed a public‑interest writ under Article 32 seeking a court‑directed mechanism to curb racial discrimination against citizens from India's North‑Eastern states. Citing several media‑reported incidents and invoking Articles 15, 32 and 51A(e) of the Constitution, the International…

The petitioners, working as contractual Systems Officers and Systems Assistants in Gujarat courts, sought the Supreme Court's intervention under Article 32 to challenge a High Court advertisement for new posts and to compel the inclusion of a provision for their absorption into the regular cadre. They also requested a …

Pradip Kumar, a Judicial Member of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) appointed directly from the Bar, was discharged from service on 20 November 2009 under Rule 8(3) of the Tribunal Rules, allegedly in response to a complaint by members of the Bar and a report by the President of CESTAT. T…

The appellant, Chandradhoja Sahoo, claimed to be a landless person who was granted a lease of two acres of surplus government land in 1979, but the Record of Rights was never corrected. The State of Orissa alleged that the 1979 case file, including the lease order, was forged and that the land, recorded as "kanta jungl…

The State of Maharashtra appealed against a Bombay High Court order that quashed a Collector’s directive, issued on the instructions of the Chief Minister, which required police to obtain clearance from a District Anti‑Money Lending Committee and a legal opinion before registering any FIR against Gokulchand Sananda and…

A public interest litigation was filed alleging large‑scale malpractice in examinations conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and claiming that the investigating police officer was transferred to pre‑empt the investigation. The High Court dismissed the writ petitions, directing that the investig…

Mis. Everest Wools Pvt. Ltd. obtained a loan from the U.P. State Financial Corporation and later sought additional financing from the Pradeshiya Industrial and Investment of U.P. Ltd. (PICUP). The Corporation alleged that the company had purchased second‑hand plant from another financed unit in breach of contract, reca…

The Mount Carmel School Society applied to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for four acres of land to run a senior secondary school, and the Institutional Allotment Committee recommended the full allotment. The DDA, however, made a policy decision to allot only two acres. The Society filed writ petitions alleging …

The dispute arose from the dissolution of a partnership firm where the parties' shares were determined by a decree. A Court Commissioner was appointed under Order XXVI Rule 11 of the CPC to examine the accounts, and his report was objected to by the appellants' father. The trial court rejected the objections and a requ…

Miss Singh Enterprises appealed to the Supreme Court against the order of the Jharkhand High Court which had dismissed its writ petition challenging the dismissal of its appeal under Section 35 of the Central Excise Act. The appeal had been filed 21 months after the service of the original order, far beyond the 60‑day …

R. Valasina Babu was appointed as a Postal Assistant to a post reserved for Scheduled Castes on the basis of a caste certificate. Later information indicated he did not belong to the Scheduled Caste, prompting disciplinary proceedings. While the inquiry was pending, the Collector cancelled his caste certificate. The di…

Harshad Chimanlal Modi filed a suit in the Delhi High Court for specific performance and possession of immovable property situated in Gurgaon. The suit was later transferred to the Delhi District Court, where the defendants amended their written statement to raise a jurisdictional objection under Section 16 of the CPC,…

The father of a student filed a criminal complaint under Section 7 of the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Capitation Fee) Act, 1987, alleging that a minority‑run unaided school had collected amounts in excess of the prescribed fee rates. The Magistrate took cognizance, and the school authorities ap…

The Ashok Nagar Welfare Association filed suits under Section 6 of the Specific Relief Act seeking possession of land allegedly occupied unlawfully by the respondents. A Single Judge of the Delhi High Court passed ex‑parte decrees on the basis that summons were served, although the summons were later found not to have …

The appellants, originally Sub‑Inspectors in the Border Security Force (BSF), were deputed to the Delhi Police and later permanently absorbed as Sub‑Inspectors (Executive). They sought to have their continuous substantive service in the BSF counted for seniority in the Delhi Police cadre, a right previously granted by …

The Women's Resources Centre SAHELI filed writ petitions under Article 32 on behalf of two tenants, Kamlesh Kumari and Maya Devi, alleging that police officers colluded with a landlord to evict them and brutally beat Kumari and her nine‑year‑old son Naresh, leading to the child's death. The petition sought compensation…

The State of Haryana sought review of a Supreme Court judgment that confirmed the conviction of Prem Chand and others for rape under IPC Section 376 but reduced their sentences from ten to five years by invoking the proviso to Section 376(2) on the basis of the victim's conduct. The Court examined the scope of review i…

The appellant, a supervisor in the Border Roads Organisation, was terminated during probation and later faced disciplinary action for desertion, resulting in removal from service under the Central Civil Services Rules. He appealed the removal to the Director-General, who dismissed the appeal without addressing the proc…

The State of Tamil Nadu filed a suit under Article 131 of the Constitution against the State of Karnataka and the Union of India, alleging that Karnataka's construction of a 500 Mcft check‑dam and related pumping schemes on the Markandeyanadhi tributary of the Pennaiyar River violated the 1892 and 1933 inter‑state wate…

The petitioners, tenants in Chandigarh and Punjab, challenged Section 13‑B of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949, which gives Non‑Resident Indian (NRI) landlords a preferential right to evict tenants, and the extension of this provision to the Union Territory of Chandigarh by a 2009 notification under Sec…

The Supreme Court entertained a review application filed by the Union of India seeking correction of two sentences in paragraph 25 of its 14‑December‑2018 judgment on the Rafale fighter‑jet procurement, and also considered the petitioners' claim that the Court had failed to order registration of an FIR and CBI investig…

The State of Tripura and others appealed against Jayanta Chakraborty and others, seeking a re‑examination of the M. Nagaraj judgment on the test of backwardness for SC/ST reservations. The petitioners argued that the backwardness test should not apply to SC/ST in view of the Indra Sawhney and E.V. Chinnaiah decisions, …

The petitioners, including a member of the Commission for Judicial Accountability and Reforms, filed successive writ petitions alleging that an FIR implicated senior judicial functionaries and that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) should not hear or assign the matter. They sought a Special Investigation Team and the re…

The petitioners challenged the selection of District and Sessions Judges for the Kerala Higher Judicial Service in 2015, alleging that the Administrative Committee introduced a minimum cut‑off mark for the viva‑voce after the written examination and interview had been completed, contrary to the Full Court resolution of…

The appellant ONGC required offshore vessels (OSVs) from the respondent Garware Shipping and the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) under long‑term charters. Dispute arose over the computation of repair and maintenance (R&M) charges for the 11th to 16th years of operation, with the parties relying on recommendations o…

The Society, formed by officers and employees of the Ordinance Equipment Factory (OEF), operated a CBSE‑affiliated secondary school in OEF premises on an annual rent of Rs 3,904. The OEF Board later ordered the school to cease operation after the 2005‑06 academic session, demanded payment of a large lease rent and prem…

The appellant, Ravikant S. Patil, was convicted in 2000 for offences under IPC sections 366 and 376 and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. While his criminal appeal was pending, the Bombay High Court stayed both the execution of the sentence and, on 26 March 2004, the conviction itself so that he could file his no…

The Union of India claimed ownership of land that had been sold at public auction to Mis. Mundra Salt & Chemical Industries and later acquired by the State of Maharashtra for a highway. The Union relied on Section 37 of the Bombay Land Revenue Code, 1879, which presumes Crown ownership where title is not established. T…

The petitioners sought a writ under Article 32 of the Constitution, claiming that the management of the Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust by its Chairman, Lt. Col. Sawai Bhawani Singh, violated public interest and their fundamental rights under Articles 21, 49 and 51A(f). The Court held that the dispute was essentially a…

The Akhil Bharatiya Soshit Karamchari Sangh and other petitioners challenged a series of Railway Board circulars that provided reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in recruitment and promotion, introduced a "carry forward" rule for unfilled reserved vacancies, allowed lower qualification standards, and…

The Supreme Court examined a land acquisition under the urgency provision of Section 17 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, where the acquiring authority failed to tender 80% of the estimated compensation before taking possession and also did not pass an award within two years as required by Section 11A. The Court held …

The appellants, Sameer Singh and another, challenged an order of a Sub‑Judge’s execution court that it had become functus officio and therefore could not entertain their application under Order XXI Rules 97, 99 and 101 of the CPC concerning a disputed immovable property. The execution court had earlier executed a decre…

The appellants filed a suit for declaration of ownership of a share in land and an injunction. The defendants filed a counter‑claim asserting title under a Will dated 18‑May‑1995, which the trial judge dismissed as barred by Order 2, Rule 2 of the CPC because the plea had not been raised in the earlier suit. The High C…

The Kerala Land Reforms Board ordered the respondents to surrender 2,067 acres, treating the land as excess under the ceiling provisions that became effective on 1 January 1970. The respondents argued that the land was private forest covered by the Madras Preservation of Private Forests Act, 1949 and, having been conve…

Ahamed Nassar was detained under Section 3(1)(i) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA) for alleged smuggling of cellular phones and cigarettes. He filed a representation on 21 May 1999, which was processed with short postal delays that the Court held were no…

The petitioners sought relief under Article 32 concerning the communal riots in Meerut (Sept‑Oct 1982) and the subsequent enquiry commission headed by Justice C.D. Parekh. The Supreme Court repeatedly directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file an affidavit detailing the action taken on the commission’s report, but t…

The Supreme Court examined whether the administrative instructions issued by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on 21 March 1978, which prescribed a minimum period of service for Section Officers to be eligible for promotion to Accounts Officer, were inconsistent with the Indian Audit & Accounts Department Recru…

The appellant, S. Rukmini Madegowda, was elected as a councillor (later mayor) of the Mysore Municipal Corporation. She filed an affidavit of assets that falsely omitted her husband's property, violating the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act (KMC Act) and the Representation of People Act (RP Act). An election petiti…

Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the Ministry of Personnel allocated B. Subba Rayudu, a Joint Director (Class‑A) in the Animal Husbandry Department, to the residual State of Andhra Pradesh despite his exercise of the option to join Telangana, his seniority, and his spouse’s status as a local candidate of Te…

The petitioners, Annaii Medical College, sought confirmation of a conditional Letter of Permission (LOP) for the 2016‑17 MBBS session and relief from a decision that barred them from admitting students for 2017‑18 and 2018‑19 and authorised the Medical Council of India (MCI) to encash a Rs 2 crore bank guarantee. The M…

The widow and son of a bus driver who died after electrocution filed an application under Section IA of the Fatal Accidents Act, 1855 seeking compensation. The trial court and the High Court dismissed the claim, holding that the suit was time‑barred under Article 82 of the Limitation Act, 1963, which prescribes a two‑y…

The Supreme Court heard a public‑interest writ filed by health‑rights activist Devika Biswas after a 2012 sterilisation camp in Bihar resulted in unsafe, unsanitary procedures and several deaths. The petition sought directions to ensure that sterilisation, a component of the national population‑control programme, is ca…

The case concerned a group of senior Lower Division Assistants (LDAs) who sought to have their pay stepped up to match that of a junior employee, Gopinath Dey, invoking West Bengal Service Rule 55(4). The Court found that Dey had been erroneously granted a higher pay scale and that the two conditions for Rule 55(4) – b…

Azad Coach Builders was contracted by an exporter to fabricate bus bodies according to a foreign buyer’s specifications, after which the bodies were mounted on chassis and exported as complete buses. The assessee claimed exemption from State sales tax under Section 5(3) of the Central Sales Tax Act, arguing that the sa…

The Shree Shankar Textiles Ex‑Employees Union sought benefits under the Textile Workers Rehabilitation Fund Scheme (TWRFS) 1991, contending that the scheme’s requirement that a mill be closed under Section 25‑O of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (or have an official liquidator appointed) violated Articles 14 and 16 o…

The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) advertised 19 Deputy Superintendent of Police posts, but the State Government later directed it to recommend only ten candidates. The APPSC complied, and the remaining three applicants challenged the direction. The Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal held that the…

The Indian Evangelical Lutheran Church, originally registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, later fell under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975. After elections were conducted under an Advocate Commissioner, the Commissioner reported that the society had become defunct. The Madras High Court …

The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission conducted a multi‑stage recruitment for 30‑plus Group‑I posts, fixing a 66% cut‑off based on a 1:50 vacancy‑to‑candidate ratio. Several government orders (GOMs 164, 133 and 200) later altered age limits and reduced the cut‑off to 61%, allegedly to accommodate more candidates…

The plaintiffs, Mis. Shivalik Agro Poly Products Ltd. and others, were allotted an industrial plot and, to secure loans, executed a mortgage deed that required payment of stamp duty and registration fees as per a Himachal Pradesh Government notification under Sections 78 and 79 of the Registration Act. They sued to dec…

After the signing of an accord between the Prime Minister and Sikh leader Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, an extremist group conspired to assassinate the Sant. Gian Singh and co‑assailants opened fire on the Sant during a public meeting on 20 August 1985, causing his death. They were overpowered, arrested, and convicted …

Union Bank of India, the landlord, sued for eviction of its tenant and the tenant's sub‑tenant, C.G. Shah, alleging rent default and unauthorised sub‑letting. Shah claimed he was a lawful sub‑tenant before the 1959 amendment of the Bombay Rents Act and alternatively a protected licensee under Section 15‑A of the Bombay…

The case involved two groups of civil servants. Lower Division Clerks (LDCs) from district police offices were appointed to the Chief Office in 1970 on the condition that they would forgo seniority based on their prior service; after 13 years they sought to have that seniority counted, and the Andhra Pradesh Administra…

Vallabhapuram Ravi was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. While serving the sentence he was transferred by the Andhra Pradesh Government to a Borstal School under section 10‑A of the Andhra Borstal Schools Act, 1925, to remain there until he turned 23. When he was not released upon attaining that a…

D.P. Maheshwari was terminated from his employment in 1969 and raised an industrial dispute that was referred to the Additional Labour Court under sections 10(1)(c) and 12(5) of the Industrial Disputes Act. The Labour Court examined the evidence and held that Maheshwari was a "workman" under section 2(s) because his du…

Biswabani Pvt. Ltd. occupied Kalpana Theatre under a registered lease (1948‑53) and later under a consent decree that attempted to create a fresh five‑year lease starting March 1955. The fresh lease was not registered, rendering it void under the Transfer of Property Act. After the five‑year period expired in February …

The appellant, Ajmera Shyam, challenged the election of Smt. Kova Laxmi, alleging that she failed to disclose income shown in her income‑tax returns for four financial years in the Form 26 affidavit, marking it as “Nil”. The High Court dismissed the election petition, holding that the omission was not a substantial def…

The appellant, Kesari Nandan Mobile, challenged two provisional attachment orders dated 13 November 2024 and 18 December 2024 issued by the Assistant Commissioner of State Tax under section 83 of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act. The orders were issued after earlier attachment orders of October 2023 had au…

The husband filed a divorce petition in 2012 on grounds of cruelty and adultery, and the Family Court granted a decree of divorce in 2016 on the ground of cruelty. The wife appealed, and the Madras High Court set aside the decree, holding that the alleged cruelty stemmed from the wife's father's rude utterances, which …

The State of Karnataka appealed against a High Court order that granted bail to a celebrity actor (A2) and co‑accused in a murder‑conspiracy case involving Sections 302, 120B and 34 IPC, where the victim was allegedly kidnapped, tortured and killed after sending obscene messages to A2’s partner. The High Court had reli…

The Supreme Court considered whether the nine‑judge bench decision in Mineral Area Development Authority v. Steel Authority of India (2024 INSC 554) should be given prospective effect. The judgment had overruled India Cement Ltd. v. State of Tamil Nadu and clarified the legislative competence of States under Entries 49…

The Supreme Court revisited a writ petition filed in 1985 concerning environmental and land‑use violations in Delhi. The Court examined whether the Monitoring Committee, appointed in 2006 to curb the misuse of residential premises for commercial purposes, had the authority to seal residential properties on private land…

The Supreme Court, acting suo motu, took cognizance of two tweets posted by advocate Prashant Bhushan that alleged the Chief Justice of India was riding a luxury motorcycle while keeping the Court in "lockdown" and that the Supreme Court had facilitated the destruction of democracy. The Court examined whether such stat…

Kum C. Yamini was appointed as an ad hoc District Judge to preside over a Fast Track Court (FTC) in 2003 under the Andhra Pradesh State Higher Judicial Service Special Rules for Ad Hoc Appointments, 2001. After a 2013 notification inviting applications for regular District Judge posts, she was selected and appointed to…

The respondent, a former government employee, retired with a provisional pension but the State of Jharkhand withheld 10% of his pension, gratuity and leave encashment while criminal and departmental proceedings against him were pending. He filed writ petitions and the High Court ordered the release of the withheld amou…

Employees of the State Council of Education, Research and Training (SCERT) filed a writ petition seeking pension, gratuity and other benefits, alleging that SCERT was a "State" under Article 12 and thus bound to implement Regulation 67. The Delhi High Court held SCERT to be a State and directed it to extend the benefit…

The State of Punjab appealed the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s acquittal of Karnail Singh, alleging that the trial court’s conviction was supported by credible eyewitness testimony and forensic evidence. The High Court had set aside the conviction on the basis of an alleged delay in lodging the FIR and doubts about t…

The Supreme Court examined a petition that arose from a letter alleging mismanagement, corruption and maladministration in the Guruvayur Temple, which the Kerala High Court had treated as a public‑interest litigation (PIL) and responded by appointing a Commissioner to conduct a wide‑ranging enquiry. The Court held that…

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) advertised vacancies for primary and nursery teachers and required OBC candidates to submit certificates issued by competent authorities. Several applicants submitted OBC certificates issued by authorities in their home states outside Delhi, which MCD rejected, citing a Delhi go…

The State Government of Rajasthan fixed a minimum qualifying mark of 33% for in‑service doctors and increased the reservation of seats for them in postgraduate medical courses from 25% to 50% of the remaining seats. Private candidates challenged these measures as violative of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, arg…

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) amended its Staff Regulations in 1976 and 1977 (30th and 43rd Amendments) to require three years of service for graduates and five years for non‑graduates for promotion to Assistant Grade‑I and II posts. Non‑graduate employees filed writ petitions in several High Courts challenging t…

The respondents, registered dealers under the Sales Tax Acts, manufactured and sold goods both locally and outside the local area. Under the Madhya Pradesh Entry Tax Act, 1976, they were required to declare that goods sold were local and that no entry tax had been paid; failure to do so invoked Section 7(5), which pres…

In a transfer petition filed by the wife seeking to transfer her pending divorce petition, the court directed the parties to attempt reconciliation. The husband and wife settled their differences and the wife agreed to join her husband within two years after resolving her property issues in another city. The court cons…

The respondent, a lecturer in the College of Military Engineering, was compulsorily retired following a departmental inquiry and challenged the order on the ground that he was not supplied with a copy of the inquiry report. The Central Administrative Tribunal set aside the retirement order and directed the department t…

The petitioners, a group of licensed child‑welfare agencies including the Central Voluntary Adoption Resource Agency, sought various reliefs concerning adoption procedures, such as allowing Indian‑adopted children to retain citizenship till majority, issuing birth certificates on the basis of adoption documents, quashi…

The petitioners, research scholars employed on projects in various medical institutions, sought security of service and regularisation under Article 32 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court observed that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is the research body funded by the Union, and that better coordinatio…

Vyas Muni Mishra, a Ganna Gram Sewak, filed a writ petition under Art. 226 seeking the merger of the posts of Ganna Gram Sewak and Cane Supervisor into a single cadre, invoking the principle of equal pay for equal work under Art. 39(d). The Allahabad High Court ordered the merger, holding that the qualifications for bo…

The District Council of Jowai issued a notification fixing a royalty on timber harvested from private forests within its jurisdiction. Forest contractors challenged the levy, arguing it was a tax that the Council was not empowered to impose under the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule. The Supreme Court examined whether the…

The case concerned the inter‑se seniority of promotee judges (appointed by promotion under Rule 16) and direct recruits (appointed from the Bar under Rule 5(2)) to the Delhi Higher Judicial Service. The petitioners, promotees, argued that seniority should be based on their dates of continuous officiation and that the s…

Rafiq was convicted by the trial court and affirmed by the High Court for raping a middle‑aged Bal Sewika who was sleeping in a girls' school, and was sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment. He filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court, contending that the absence of physical injuries on the vict…

The petitioners, New Satgram Engineering Works and related properties, challenged the takeover of their engineering unit, bungalow and guest house by the Central Government under the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973, seeking a mandamus. The High Court declined to decide whether these assets fell within the defini…

The appellant, a co‑founder of a media production firm, sought to quash an FIR filed by a rival media financier alleging offences under sections 60(b), 316(2) and 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The High Court, instead of simply deciding the petition, directed the parties to undergo mediation and ordered t…

The petitioner, son of a teacher who died while in service at an aided school, claimed death‑cum‑retirement gratuity under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. The claim was rejected by the school authorities, the appellate authority and the High Court, which held that the teacher was not an employee within the meaning o…

The husband filed a divorce petition and sought to introduce secretly recorded telephone conversations with his wife as evidence, submitting memory cards, a CD and transcripts. The Family Court allowed the evidence, but the High Court set aside that order on the ground that the recordings violated the wife's right to p…

The appellant A-4, a young woman engaged to B.V. Girish, was unwilling to marry him and confided her grievance to friend A-1, who enlisted cousin A-3 and A-2 to murder the fiancé. The deceased was fatally injured with a steel rod on 3 December 2003; eyewitnesses were later discredited and the case hinged on circumstant…

The State of Karnataka challenged the Karnataka High Court’s order that quashed criminal proceedings against former BBMP Chief Engineer B.T. Ramesh on the grounds that the chargesheet was filed more than four years after the alleged misconduct and that no sanction under Section 197 of the CrPC was obtained. Ramesh had …