Constitution of India

The Uttarakhand Director of School Education advertised for Assistant Teachers (General) requiring a B.Ed. degree simplicitor. The respondents held B.Ed. degrees with Specialisation in Vocational Education, which the authorities deemed not to satisfy the qualification. The High Court set aside the rejection, but the St…

The Uttar Pradesh Jal Sansthan, created under the U.P. Water Supply and Sewerage Act, 1975, supplied water and maintained sewerage for railway colonies and stations and demanded service charges from the Railways. The Union of India contended that these charges were a tax on Union property and therefore exempt under Art…

The Union of India appealed against a decision of the Central Administrative Tribunal and the Delhi High Court that had granted Mahajabeen Akhtar, a former Research Assistant of the Bureau of Promotion of Urdu Language, a replacement pay scale on the basis of equality with research assistants in other language departme…

The Central Public Works Department issued office orders on 1 August 2002 and 11 March 2003 that reorganised zones by placing civil, electrical and mechanical cadres under a Chief Engineer (either civil or electrical), effectively creating a post that merged distinct services. The respondents challenged the validity of…

Mahatma Mishra was appointed by the State Bank of India as a temporary messenger for a fixed period of 88 days in 1982 and was terminated thereafter. He claimed that the termination violated Section 25‑H of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 and sought reinstatement with full back wages. The Labour Court held the termin…

Manish Ratan and others were accused of dowry harassment and ill‑treatment of their wife, who lived in Jabalpur. The complainant lodged a FIR at Datia police, alleging that the offences occurred at Jabalpur, and the case was tried by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Datia. The appellants challenged the jurisdiction, argu…

Harihar Bhole Nath, a Deputy Inspector General of Registration, was charged in 1993 with misconduct causing financial loss to the Government and was suspended by order of the Governor. Although the suspension was stayed, he retired on 31 March 1993. A departmental enquiry was later initiated on 4 January 1997, after hi…

Mathura Prasad, a casual labourer, was shortlisted for regularisation and his service card was sent for verification, where it was deemed fake. A departmental inquiry was held, but the inquiry officer’s report did not clearly state whether the card was genuine. The disciplinary authority sent a demi‑official letter ask…

The trustees of a trust estate had leased premises to a lessee for 21 years, who later assigned the lease to TIVOLI PARK APARTMENTS (the respondent). An oral agreement was made to renew the lease for 70 years on increased rent and premium, but the trustees failed to execute the transfer deed. The respondent obtained a …

The Andhra Pradesh amendment of Section 73 of the Indian Stamp Act gave the Collector power to inspect, seize and impound any registers, books or documents, including those in banks, without any procedural safeguards. The High Court struck down this provision as unconstitutional, and the State appealed. The Supreme Cou…

The State of Uttar Pradesh issued executive directives under Article 162 to deduct 5% from government advertisement bills in newspapers with circulation over 25,000, creating a fund for a pension scheme for working journalists. The scheme had not been enacted as a law because the related bill lapsed in the Vidhan Sabha…

The Supreme Court examined the acquisition of several thousand acres of land for the planned development of Delhi under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, where notifications under Section 4 were issued between 1959 and 1965 and declarations under Section 6 between 1966 and 1969, but awards were delayed until 1979‑83. The…

Sixteen villages that were originally part of Murshidabad district and fell within the Jangipur Parliamentary Constituency under the Delimitation Order, 1976, were later administratively transferred to the district of Maida due to a change in the course of the River Ganges. The residents filed a writ petition seeking a…

The appellant, an Income Tax Officer, was investigated by the CBI and found to hold assets disproportionate to his known income. Although the evidence was insufficient for criminal prosecution under Section 5(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, a departmental inquiry proved the misconduct and dismissed him…

The case concerned Jagdish Singh's challenge to the compensation awarded for land acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The acquisition officer initially fixed different rates for two blocks, which were later consolidated by the reference court and the Punjab & Haryana High Court to a uniform rate of Rs 10 per…

The petitioners, a group of government compositors, sought to be placed in the "highly skilled" Grade‑I category with backdated benefits, relying on a Himachal Pradesh High Court decision in T.R. Thakur’s case that had held seniority‑based classification unreasonable. The Supreme Court examined whether that High Court …

The case concerns the murder of Suresh Chandra, who was tied up and assaulted with lathis and dandas by five accused including Kishan Ram, Pani Ram, Dev Singh, Har Ram and Chandan Singh. The trial court and the High Court convicted the five under Section 302 read with Section 149 of the IPC and sentenced them to life i…

Arvind Gupta filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the Comptroller and Auditor General of India's (CAG) power to issue performance audit reports under the Regulations on Audit and Accounts, 2007, framed pursuant to the Comptroller & Auditor General's (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Services) Act, 1971. T…

The appellants' agricultural lands were acquired under a 1965 notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and an award of Rs 2,000 per bigha was made in 1969. They, together with other claimants, obtained a reference under Section 18 which raised the award to Rs 2,200, and the High Court later enhanc…

The petitioners, police officers of the Manipur Police Service, were appointed in officiating capacity under Rule 24 and later re‑appointed under Rule 5(1)(b) and Rule 16, but their officiating service was ignored in the seniority list. They challenged the order in the Gauhati High Court; a Single Judge treated their o…

The appellants challenged a memorandum that allowed relaxation of qualifying marks for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in promotion examinations, arguing it violated the Constitution. The Central Administrative Tribunal had held that such relaxation fell within the reservation power under Article 16(4) and was sa…

The petitioners were appointed as ad‑hoc lecturers in the Union Territory of Pondicherry and later appeared for regular recruitment through the Public Service Commission but were not selected. They filed petitions before the Central Administrative Tribunal seeking regularisation of their services. The Tribunal dismisse…

The Constitution Bench examined whether a delinquent employee is entitled to a copy of the Inquiry Officer's report before the disciplinary authority decides on guilt or punishment, especially after the 42nd Amendment removed the right to show cause on penalty. It held that when the Inquiry Officer is not the disciplin…

The Karnataka State Transport Authority received 495 applications for 14 All‑India Tourist Vehicle permits. It initially granted 11 permits to the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation, one to the Indian Tourism Development Corporation and two to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation. The Karnataka S…

The case concerned the conviction of Tarun Sharma under Section 302 IPC for the murder of Munish Kumar, based primarily on a dying declaration recorded by a police Sub‑Inspector. The Supreme Court examined whether the dying declaration was reliable, given that the victim had been unconscious for most of the period, the…

The State of Telangana and its agencies challenged the High Court's expansion of the definition of ‘local candidate’ under the Telangana Medical & Dental Colleges Admission Rules, 2017, arguing that the definition is prescribed by the Presidential Order issued under Article 371D and the 1983 Act and cannot be altered b…

The appellant, Sau. Sangeeta, was elected as Gatneta (Group Leader) of the INCPS Party, a Panchayat Samiti party formed by four elected members of the Shrirampur Panchayat Samiti, in a 2017 meeting chaired by the Ahmednagar District INC President. The meeting resolution gave the District President the power to change t…

The Supreme Court examined a dispute over the reservation of the Mayor's office in Dhule Municipal Corporation. The State of Maharashtra had notified that the post would be reserved for the Backward Class (BC) for the term starting June 2021, despite earlier reservations for BC and no reservation for Scheduled Castes (…

Shri Venkateshwara University sought renewal of its Letter of Permission (LOP) to admit MBBS students for 2017‑18 after the Medical Council of India (MCI) inspected the college on 9 December 2016 and recommended debarment for 2017‑18 and 2018‑19. The university argued that the inspection violated clause 8(3)(l)(d) of t…

The Saraswati Educational Charitable Trust sought to establish a medical college and was granted conditional permission for the 2016-17 session. The Medical Council of India (MCI) conducted an inspection in November 2016, finding only minor deficiencies (faculty 1.5% and residents 6.52%) within permissible limits. A se…

Cardamom Marketing Corporation and another, registered dealers under the Kerala General Sales Tax Act and Kerala Value Added Tax Act, challenged a 2002 government notification that levied an additional court fee on appeals and revisions before tribunals, directing the proceeds to the Kerala Legal Benefit Fund. They arg…

The appellant, a Head Constable with 34 years of service, was dismissed after his son and two others were arrested for stealing a car under Section 392 IPC, the car being recovered from the government quarters occupied by the appellant. The disciplinary authority held the appellant guilty of negligence, indiscipline, a…

Anil Kumar Jain and Maya Jain, married in 1985, filed a joint petition for mutual divorce under Section 13‑B of the Hindu Marriage Act in 2004. After the statutory six‑month period, the wife withdrew her consent, stating she did not want the marriage dissolved, leading the trial court and the High Court to dismiss the …

Natwar Parikh & Co. Ltd., a transporter of heavy equipment, used tractors (registered as non‑transport vehicles) coupled with trailers (registered as transport vehicles) to move transformers into Karnataka. The Karnataka taxation authority issued demand notices demanding motor‑vehicle tax on the tractor‑trailer combina…

The appellant, Nirmal Jeet Kaur, alleged dowry harassment and filed a criminal complaint against her husband (Respondent No.2) under Sections 498A, 506 IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act. Respondent No.2 sought anticipatory bail under Section 438 CrPC, which the High Court disposed of, directing him to apply for regular…

Justice P. Venugopal, a retired Madras High Court Judge, sought re‑fixation of his pension by claiming that periods he served as a Commission of Inquiry, ad hoc Judge and Commissioner of Payments (1981‑1988) should be counted as judicial service. The Supreme Court examined whether the High Court Judges (Salaries and Co…

The Supreme Court considered a Special Leave Petition filed by the Delhi Jal Board challenging a Delhi High Court order that had allowed Mahinder Singh, a senior employee, to receive a promotion recommended by a Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) despite a later disciplinary inquiry. The Court held that the right t…

K. Kandaswamy, an IPS officer, was compulsorily retired by the Government of India under Rule 56(j) of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, after a special report raised doubts about his integrity, including a suspicious request to purchase a coffee estate. He challenged the order before …

Bhuwneshwar Singh, a sepoy, was dismissed from service and sentenced to four months' rigorous imprisonment by a District Court Martial (DCM). He challenged the dismissal, conviction, and sentence in the Calcutta High Court, alleging violations of Army Rules and illegal pre‑trial detention beyond three months without Ce…

The Supreme Court examined whether the term "wheat" in Section 14(i)(iii) of the Central Sales Tax Act, 1956 includes flour, maida and suji. Dealers argued that these milled products remain wheat and should be treated as declared goods, thereby enjoying tax relief, while the states contended that the statute refers onl…

Balram Gupta, a permanent clerk with over 20 years of service, gave notice of voluntary retirement effective 31 March 1981 under Rule 48‑A of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972. He later withdrew the notice on 31 January 1981, citing personal requests from staff, but the government refused permission to w…

Southern Pharmaceuticals and other manufacturers of medicinal and toilet preparations containing alcohol challenged the constitutional validity of sections 12A, 12B, 14(e), 14(f) and 68A of the Kerala Abkari Act, 1967 and related rules, arguing that the State lacked competence because the subject fell within the Union’…

The Supreme Court, by a 6:1 majority, overruled its earlier decision in E.V. Chinnaiah v. State of Andhra Pradesh and held that sub-classification of Scheduled Castes for the purpose of reservation is constitutionally permissible. The Court examined whether the Scheduled Castes constitute a homogenous class under Artic…

The respondents were appointed to the Eastern Railway on compassionate grounds, but the railway authority later discovered that the documents supporting their claims were forged and terminated their services. The respondents challenged the termination before the Central Administrative Tribunal, which dismissed their ap…

Madhusudan Bhanuprasad Pandya, who operated a cement pipe manufacturing business on leasehold land in Ahmedabad, applied for exemption under Section 20 of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976. The State Government rejected the application, and the High Court dismissed his writ petition, holding that the la…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911 (as amended by the 1994 Punjab Amending Act) could levy house tax at different rates for self‑occupied and tenanted premises and whether the definition of "market value" under Section 3(8aa) was unconstitutional for lacking guidelines. The Court held tha…

The appellant was convicted for murder under Section 302 IPC based on the testimony of the deceased's son, who claimed the appellant killed his father with an axe over a marital dispute. The trial court and the Madhya Pradesh High Court upheld the conviction despite serious inconsistencies, lack of corroboration, and t…

The State of Maharashtra detained Santosh Shankar Acharya under Section 3(2) of the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1981, but failed to inform him that he could make a representation to the detaining authority. The High Court held that such non‑communication violated Article 22(5) of the Constitutio…

The Supreme Court, recalling its earlier D.K. Basu judgment which laid down eleven procedural safeguards to prevent custodial violence, noted that more than seven months had passed without evidence of implementation. On petitions filed by Dr. A.M. Singhvi, the Court directed the Director General of Police and Home Secr…

The appellants, R.K. Tandon and others, held lease‑hold rights over 22,528 sq. yd of land in Allahabad that was acquired by the State under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The Land Acquisition Officer awarded compensation of Rs 4,57,750.88; the reference court fixed Rs 500 per sq. yd for land, Rs 50,000 for trees and R…

The Supreme Court examined whether land and buildings owned by the International Airport Authority of India (IAAI), leased to the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) for a hotel, were exempt from municipal property tax under Article 285(1) of the Constitution. The Court held that the IAAI is a distinct statut…

Satish Chandra challenged Sections 4, 5, 16, 21 and 27 of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1988 on the grounds that Parliament lacked competence to create the Company Law Board (CLB) and that the Act failed to protect minority shareholders. The petition argued that the power under Section 397 of the Companies Act, 1956 w…

The petitioners, owners of land in Sholapur, challenged the acquisition of their land under the Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Act, 1976, arguing that the Act should not apply to land reserved for public purpose under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966 and that sections 10, 11 and 23 of the Act vio…

The Bihar State Government issued a notification on 18 November 1986 bifurcating the single Secondary Education Service cadre into separate cadres, allegedly to provide quicker promotional avenues for lower‑ranked teachers. The notification was challenged before the Patna High Court, which held that the bifurcation vio…

The petitioners, daily‑rated carpenters employed by the Himachal Pradesh State Handicrafts Corporation, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking "equal pay for equal work" with regular government carpenters or, alternatively, the minimum wages fixed by the Deputy Commissioner. The respondents argued that the corp…

R. Narasimhan, a Class III railway servant governed by the pension rules, was compulsorily retired in 1982 under para 620 of the Railway Pension Manual, which allows retirement after 30 years of qualifying service. He challenged the order, arguing that the manual provision was void and that only Rule 2046 of the Indian…

Rudul Sah was kept in prison for more than 14 years after being acquitted by a trial court. He filed a habeas corpus petition under Article 32 of the Constitution seeking his release and compensation for the illegal detention. The State of Bihar informed the Court that he had already been released, but the petition con…

Parveen Kumar was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2009. In 2022 he applied for remission under the 2002 Haryana remission policy, which required the Governor’s approval under Article 161 of the Constitution, but his application was rejected on the ground that the later 2008 policy, issued unde…

The case concerned a workman who was dismissed by the Nava Naroda Gram Panchayat and later entered into a compromise with the Sarpanch for reinstatement and back wages. The Labour Court upheld the compromise, but the Gram Panchayat and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation challenged its validity, arguing that the Sarpanch l…

The appellant, a helmsman on the cargo ship "Lok Prem", was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly murdering a fellow helmsman, L. Shivaraman, based primarily on circumstantial evidence and an alleged extra‑judicial confession to an engine officer. The prosecution relied on the appellant's fingerprints on a bloo…

The husband, Darshan Gupta, filed a petition for dissolution of marriage on the grounds of cruelty (s.13(1)(ia)) and his wife’s alleged incurable unsound mind (s.13(1)(iii)) under the Hindu Marriage Act. The wife, Radhika Gupta, sought restitution of conjugal rights. The Family Court and High Court dismissed the husban…

The case concerned a claim by a Motor Vehicles Inspector (Grade II) for out‑of‑turn/accelerated promotion to Regional Transport Officer under Rule 36(b)(ii) of the Tamil Nadu State and Subordinate Services Rules. The appellant senior officers argued that the Special Rules governing promotion and transfer in the Tamil N…

Retired police inspector N. Sengodan issued a press statement urging the formation of a police association. The State of Tamil Nadu declared him a "goonda" and detained him under Section 3(2) of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1982, also filing criminal charges under the Police (Incitement to Dis…

The petitioners, including Essar Teleholdings Ltd., challenged the Delhi High Court's administrative order and the NCT of Delhi's notification appointing a Special Judge to try the 2G spectrum case, arguing that the Special Judge lacked jurisdiction to try IPC offences (420/120‑B) arising from the same transaction. The…

The State of Rajasthan acquired 15.5 hectares of land to set up a North‑Western Railway Zone complex and staff quarters. The landowners challenged the acquisition, arguing that because the project was a railway (a Union subject) only the Central Government could be the "appropriate Government" under Sections 4 and 6 of…

The appellants were charged under Section 420 IPC for allegedly cheating a complainant of Rs 30 lakhs and sought anticipatory bail, arguing that the offence fell within the jurisdiction of a Gram Panchayat under the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994. The High Court dismissed their bail applications and a subsequent writ …

The State of Uttarakhand dissolved the Municipal Council of Haridwar and appointed an Administrator under the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporations Act, 1959, to facilitate its conversion into a Municipal Corporation. The Chairman, Kamal Jora, challenged the dissolution on the ground that no hearing was afforded to the …

Distributors (Baroda) Ltd., an investment company, claimed a deduction under Section 80M of the Income Tax Act for inter‑corporate dividends based on the full amount of dividends received, contrary to the Revenue’s view that the deduction should be calculated on dividend income as computed under the Act. The Supreme Co…

Eight petitioners, originally Assistant Medical Officers, were promoted on an officiating basis to Divisional Medical Officer posts between 1971 and 1974 under the 1965 and 1973 Railway Medical Service Rules, which treated such posts as selection posts. A seniority list prepared in 1979 under the 1978 Rules (which intr…

The liquidator of a corporate debtor filed an appeal under Section 62 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) after the 45‑day filing period but within the 60‑day grace period, and the appeal was marked defective. The liquidator failed to cure the defects within the 28‑day period prescribed by the Supreme Court Rul…

The Supreme Court examined whether holders of the "Vaidya Visharad" or "Ayurved Ratna" certificates issued by the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag after 1967 could practice medicine under the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970, and whether the cut‑off date of 1967 in Entry 105 of the Act’s Second Schedule was arbi…

The case involved four accused who, during a robbery on a train in 1994, stabbed one passenger to death and shot another. Eye‑witnesses, who were the victim’s siblings, identified the accused in court, leading to conviction by the trial court. The High Court acquitted them on the ground that no test identification para…

The appellants, recruited as Sub‑Inspectors of Police through direct recruitment, challenged a Government Order dated 21‑11‑2017 that granted seniority to 20% in‑service candidates over those recruited from the open market. The order retrospectively amended Rule 25 of the Tamil Nadu Police Subordinate Service Rules, 19…

The appellant, Ram Balak Singh, claimed possession of 0.32 decimal of land that had been settled in favour of his adoptive father Makhan Singh by an ex‑landlord and later recorded in his name by the Consolidation Officer under the Bihar Consolidation Act. After the consolidation proceedings closed, the State of Bihar a…

The Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) conducted a recruitment process for 571 posts, but an amendment to Rule 4 of the Madhya Pradesh State Service Examination Rules, 2015 on 17‑02‑2020 altered the method of segregating reservation‑category candidates and was applied to the ongoing examination. This led …

The Supreme Court examined three criminal appeals arising from chargesheets filed in Uttar Pradesh that were alleged to lack sufficient factual detail and evidence under Section 173(2) of the CrPC. It considered whether a chargesheet must contain detailed facts and material evidence to enable a magistrate to take cogni…

The appellant and respondent were married in 1998 and later lived separately, leading the husband to file a suit for dissolution of marriage which was dismissed by the trial, district and high courts. While the appeal was pending before the Supreme Court, the parties reached an amicable settlement through mediation, ag…

The Supreme Court examined the conduct of a court‑appointed Administrator who was tasked with amending the Constitution of the Archery Association of India (AAI) and conducting elections. The Administrator unilaterally introduced several amendments beyond the four changes expressly approved by the Court in its order of…

The Little Andaman Panchayat Samiti, consisting of five elected members and one Member of Parliament (MP) as an ex‑officio member, scheduled a special meeting to consider a no‑confidence motion against the Pramukh. Only three elected members attended, and the Executive Officer dissolved the meeting, holding that a quor…

The case concerned an amendment to the recruitment rules of the Labour Department of Pondicherry that equated the post of Principal, Grade ‘A’ (Senior Scale) with the post of Joint Chief Inspector of Factories (JCIF). The Central Administrative Tribunal and the Madras High Court had set aside the amendment, holding tha…

The case involved the murder of Satyawati, who was allegedly killed by her in‑laws for refusing to pay dowry. Four family members were tried; Jwala Singh was acquitted while Tribhuwan Singh, Makoi Devi and Chandra Bhawan Singh were convicted by the trial court. The High Court upheld the convictions of Tribhuwan Singh a…

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

The appellant Savitri Pandey and Raju Pandey were named in an FIR filed in 2014 by their sister‑in‑law alleging fraudulent sale deeds executed in 1994 concerning joint family land. The High Court dismissed their writ petition under Article 226 seeking quashing of the FIR. The Supreme Court examined whether such a writ …

The Rajasthan Housing Board and the original Khatedars appealed against a Division Bench order that granted the New Pink City Nirman Sahkari Samiti Ltd. (the Society) a right to compensation and 25% of the developed land after the State acquired the land under the Rajasthan Land Acquisition Act, 1953. The Court held th…

Mahendra Nath Das was convicted of two murders, one of which attracted a death sentence that was confirmed by the High Court and the Supreme Court. He filed a mercy petition under Article 72 of the Constitution seeking commutation to life imprisonment, but the petition was rejected after a twelve‑year delay. The appell…

The State of Rajasthan filed a fresh batch of Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) challenging a High Court order dated 29‑11‑2011, which had already been the subject of earlier SLPs that were dismissed. The Supreme Court examined whether a coordinate bench could entertain new SLPs against the same impugned order when the ma…

Meena Kumari, a war widow residing in Jheenjhak village of Kanpur Dehat district, filed a writ petition seeking a mandamus directing Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. to grant her a licence for a retail petrol pump under the 30‑December‑1977 notification. The corporation had awarded the licence to another applicant from Farr…

The appellant, a Sub‑Inspector, was punished for dereliction of duty after a Head Constable under his charge was caught transporting liquor in a government vehicle. While the Head Constable was later exonerated in criminal court and his departmental punishment set aside, the appellant's punishment of stopping two futur…

The State of Maharashtra issued a demand for a fee under Rule 5(2) of the Bombay Rectified Spirit (Transport in Bond) Rules, 1951 against Nagpur Distillers, which purchases rectified spirit and extra neutral alcohol from other distilleries for manufacturing Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). The distiller filed a writ …

The Supreme Court had earlier directed the tenants to deposit Rs 3,00,000 as a condition precedent for pursuing their writ petition concerning arrears of rent on a building occupied for 26 years without payment. The tenants applied for clarification, contending that a payment of Rs 1,45,860 made on 5 July 2004 should b…

The appellant, representing IDCOL, challenged a decision of the Orissa High Court that set aside a government order awarding a copper cable tender to IDCOL and directed that a later higher offer by OSICL be considered. The High Court had entertained the writ petition without impleading IDCOL, disposed of the case withi…

The Supreme Court examined whether 14 temporary posts of Additional District Judges created under the Delhi Higher Judicial Service Rules, 1970 before their amendment could be filled only by promotion from the Delhi Judicial Service or also by direct recruitment from the Bar as permitted by the amended rules of 1987. T…

The husband filed a petition under Section 5(ii) read with Section 12(1)(b) of the Hindu Marriage Act seeking a declaration that his marriage was null and void because his wife allegedly suffered a chronic, incurable mental disorder and refused cohabitation. The trial court dismissed the petition for lack of proof; the…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of a draft scheme under the Motor Vehicles Acts (1939 and 1988) to nationalise 39 road‑transport routes in Uttar Pradesh, of which 38 routes were distinct from the Saharanpur‑Shahdra‑Delhi route previously dealt with in Ram Krishna Verma. The Court held that the statutory right t…

The Supreme Court examined a writ petition filed by the brother and widow of a murder victim challenging the Governor of Haryana’s order granting remission of the life sentence of Siriyans Kumar Jain, a convicted murderer. The High Court and Supreme Court had directed Jain to surrender and serve the remainder of his se…

The first appellant, a public limited company, and its senior directors were accused by minority shareholders of oppression and mismanagement. The shareholders filed petitions before the Company Law Board under Sections 397 and 398 of the Companies Act, 1956, seeking injunctions and the appointment of an administrator.…

The Supreme Court examined the implementation of the Delhi hawkers rehabilitation scheme by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in light of the R.C. Chopra report. It directed the MCD to give all applicants previously held ineligible an opportunity to make representations, to re‑examine eligibility, to prepare zon…

The film "Bandit Queen", based on the life of Phoolan Devi, was certified 'A' by the Appellate Tribunal under the Cinematograph Act after it was found to depict the consequences of social evils such as rape and oppression. The petitioner, Bobby Art International, challenged the High Court's order that quashed the certi…

The Allahabad Bank Officers Association challenged the bank's order of compulsory retirement of a senior officer, alleging that the order was stigmatic and therefore a punitive dismissal under Article 311(2) of the Constitution. The bank had constituted a Special Committee under Regulation 19 of its 1979 Service Regula…

Gujarat University prescribed a rule for admission to its limited super‑speciality (M.Ch./D.M.) courses giving first preference to its own graduates, second preference to other Gujarat‑state university graduates, and leaving any remaining vacancies unfilled. Rajiv G. Bhatt, not a Gujarat University graduate, was denied…

The Supreme Court examined whether the freely transferable "replenishment licences" (R.E.P. licences) and later "Exim Scrips" issued under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1947 constitute "goods" for the purpose of state sales‑tax statutes. The Court held that these licences have an independent market value, are …

The petition challenged the constitutional validity of Chapter VIII‑A of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Act, 1976, which allows acquisition of properties on payment of one hundred times the monthly rent, and argued that Article 31C of the Constitution shields the Act from attack under Articles 14 and 19. …

A journalist, writing as President of Citizens for Democracy, petitioned the Supreme Court under Article 32 alleging that seven TADA detainees lodged in Guwahati Medical College Hospital were handcuffed and tied with ropes, violating their constitutional rights. The State of Assam countered, claiming a high risk of esc…

The Assistant Collector of Central Excise and others filed review petitions against the Supreme Court's judgment and order dated 20 December 1986 in the Madras Rubber Factory Ltd. case. The respondents argued that the judgment should remain final, while the petitioners contended that the earlier decision conflicted wit…

The petitioners, the Assam Rifles Multi-purpose Co-operative Society Limited and Major General A.S. Guraya, filed a writ under Article 32 seeking enforcement of a government scheme to settle retired Assam Rifles personnel in the NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh) border region, alleging that promised land, loans, and basic f…

Baldev Raj Sharma obtained a two‑year LL.B (Academic) degree as a private candidate from Kurukshetra University and later completed the third year of the professional LL.B as a regular student at Kanpur University, receiving the LL.B (Professional) degree in 1982. He applied to the Punjab and Haryana State Bar Council …

The case concerned the suspension of IAS officer E.S. Reddi under the Andhra Pradesh Civil Services Rules, which he challenged on the ground of arbitrariness under Article 14 of the Constitution, alleging that similarly situated officers were merely transferred. The Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court rever…

Senior draughtsmen employed in the Ordnance Factories performed identical work and held the same post, but the Government, following the Third Pay Commission, divided them into two groups with different pay scales based solely on seniority. The appellants, who were not in the group entitled to the higher scale, challen…

The petitioners, who had completed their MBBS and house‑job before the Supreme Court’s June 22, 1984 judgment in Dr. Pradeep Jain’s case, were denied admission to two‑year postgraduate medical courses for 1985‑86 because the college applied the new 50% institutional‑preference rule instead of the earlier 75% rule. They…

Shamshar Singh, a practising advocate, was detained under Section 3(2) of the National Security Act, 1980. He challenged the detention on four grounds: (1) a one‑day delay in placing his representation before the Advisory Board violated Section 10; (2) the Board failed to consider documentary evidence he produced, cont…

A.L. Kalra, a former Deputy Finance Manager of the Project & Equipment Corporation of India Ltd., was disciplined for allegedly misusing two advances granted under the corporation's House Building and Conveyance Advance Rules. The corporation withheld his salary and, after a disciplinary inquiry that lacked reasons and…

The appellants, a company and its directors, were alleged to have acquired shares of a Singapore entity without RBI approval, violating Section 4 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The Enforcement Directorate seized their assets under Section 37A, but the Competent Authority later refused to confirm the sei…

The appellants, I.K. Merchants Pvt. Ltd. and others, sold their shares in a state-owned company in 1973 for Rs.11.50 per share and later sought a higher valuation, which was finally fixed at Rs.640 per share by a court-appointed valuer. The State of Rajasthan, as respondent, delayed payment for over five decades, leadi…

The Kerala Public Service Commission advertised 12 Boat Lascar vacancies requiring a current Lascar's licence, but the appellant, holding a higher Syrang's licence, applied and was placed first in the ranked list and advised for appointment. While the appointment was pending, two applications were filed before the Kera…

The State of Kerala filed an original suit under Article 131 of the Constitution challenging the Union of India's imposition of a Net Borrowing Ceiling that limited the State's ability to raise funds, including borrowings by State‑Owned Enterprises and public‑account liabilities. Kerala sought a mandatory interim injun…

The petitioner filed a public interest litigation before the Gujarat High Court under Article 226 challenging a Gujarat Government resolution that created a Governing Council and an Executive Council for the redevelopment of the Gandhi Ashram Memorial (Sabarmati Ashram) and sought that the existing trusts spearhead the…

Three pharmaceutical units in Ankleshwar began operations without obtaining the prior environmental clearance (EC) mandated by the 1994 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification. The Ministry of Environment and Forests issued a 2002 circular allowing defaulting units to obtain an ex‑post‑facto EC, which the Na…

The appellant was arrested in 2007 in connection with a bomb‑defusing case and, while in police custody, gave a confessional statement that was recorded by a Superintendent of Police under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987. The appellant contended that the confession was not v…

The Supreme Court examined whether the doctrine of prospective overruling applied in Kailash Chand Sharma's case— which struck down bonus marks based on domicile for primary school teacher appointments— could be extended to a large group of appointees who were not parties before the High Court. The appellants, whose se…

Bharatkumar Shantilal Thakkar, a subordinate judicial officer in Gujarat, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking the implementation of the 1st National Judicial Pay Commission's recommendation of three advance increments for judges with higher law qualifications. The Gujarat Government, by a resolution dated 14…

The landlord filed an eviction suit which was dismissed by the trial court; the appellate court reversed that decision, finding that the landlord had a bona‑fide need for the premises under Section 7(5) of the Maharashtra Rent Control Act and ordered the tenants to vacate. The tenants obtained a writ of certiorari from…

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) acquired land under the Bangalore Improvement Act, 1945, with possession handed over to the government on 9 December 1983. A de‑notification under Section 48(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 was issued on 5 October 1999, and later recalled on 27 June 2000. The Karnataka Hig…

The Supreme Court examined whether the State of Bihar could file an appeal under Section 378(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 against an acquittal rendered by a Special CBI Judge when the offence was investigated by the Delhi Special Police Establishment (CBI). The Court held that the opening words "save as o…

The Supreme Court examined contempt petitions filed by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) alleging that senior Tamil Nadu officials (respondents 1‑5) willfully disobeyed a Court order restraining political parties from calling a bandh on 1 October 2007, and that Union Minister T.R. Baalu (respondent …

The Supreme Court heard two appeals concerning claims for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by government employees in non‑government hospitals. In Karnataka, an officer who underwent coronary bypass surgery claimed Rs 1,50,600 but was reimbursed only Rs 39,207; the High Court had allowed his writ petition. In…

The respondent, a law‑books seller, filed a writ petition alleging that the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, through an oral assurance by the then Law Minister, had promised to purchase 500 sets of North Eastern Region Local Acts and Rules. The High Court allowed the petition, holding that the doctrine of promissory es…

Jaipal Singh, an IAS officer, applied for voluntary retirement on 13 March 2002 and requested a waiver of the three‑month notice period required under the All India Services (Death‑cum‑Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. He filed nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha election from Haryana, but the Returning Officer rejec…

The State of Maharashtra filed a criminal complaint under IPC sections 338, 109 and 114 alleging medical negligence by Dr. Praful B. Desai and Dr. A.K. Mukherjee, leading to the death of the complainant's wife. The trial court permitted the testimony of a US doctor, Dr. Greenberg, via video‑conferencing; the High Court…

In the 1995 Bihar Legislative Assembly election for the Bokaro constituency, the Returning Officer rejected the nomination papers of two workers, a Khalasi and a Meter Reader employed by Bokaro Steel Plant, on the ground that they were "managing agents" of the plant and thus disqualified under Section 10 of the Represe…

The petitioners, manufacturers of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani drugs, challenged the amendment to Section 3(h) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, arguing that it arbitrarily prohibited the manufacture of drugs administered by the parenteral route and violated Articles 14 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution. The Court ex…

Pratap Pharma Pvt. Ltd. and others filed writ petitions under Article 32 challenging the amendment of Section 3(h) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (as amended by Act 68 of 1982), alleging it was arbitrary and violative of Articles 14 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution. The petitioners contended that the amendment ex…

The respondents, two Scheduled Caste auditors, failed to meet the aggregate qualifying marks in the Part II Subordinate Accounts Service examination of December 1980 and sought a writ of mandamus directing the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to apply the relaxation prescribed in Office Memorandum No. 36021/10/76 …

The State of Kerala appealed against a Kerala High Court judgment that struck down Sections 34(1) and 34(2A) of the Cochin Town Planning Act as violative of Article 14. The Supreme Court examined whether the Act's differential treatment of compensation, particularly the exclusion of solatium, constituted unreasonable c…

The dispute arose from a terminated distributorship agreement between Varun Beverages Ltd. and the complainant, who alleged non‑payment of commissions and issued a cheque that later bounced. The complainant filed a criminal complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act and later a Section 156(3) Cr.P.C.…

Punalur Paper Mills Ltd. owned premises that were requisitioned by the West Bengal government in 1973. Section 10B of the West Bengal Premises Requisition Act required the property to be released within 25 years, i.e., by 15 August 1998, but the State failed to do so and later attempted to acquire the land using a noti…

The case involved two civil appeals (Nos. 2432 and 2433) arising from special leave petitions (SLPs) filed by Khoday Distilleries Ltd. after a High Court decree in a money suit. Both SLPs were dismissed by the Supreme Court in limine without reasons. The appellants then sought review of the High Court's judgment, raisi…

The Supreme Court considered two writ petitions challenging a Gujarat Government resolution and subsequent amendment of the Gujarat Minor Mineral Rules that prohibited the movement of sand excavated in Gujarat to other states or countries. The petitioners argued that the State’s rule‑making power under Sections 15 and …

Smita Sharad Deshmukh, an employee of State Bank of India, submitted a forged CAIIB Part‑II certificate to obtain additional salary. A domestic enquiry found the certificate forged and dismissed her; the dismissal was upheld by the Appellate Authority and the Industrial Tribunal. The High Court, exercising its writ jur…

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

The appellants challenged the acquisition of their land for a bus stand, arguing that the preliminary notification issued on 01‑05‑1980 had lapsed because the declaration under Section 6 was made on 19‑03‑1987, well beyond the two‑year limit imposed by Section 5(2) of the 1981 Amendment Act, and that the State’s invoca…

The appellant, a superintendent at KAVIKA, was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for demanding and accepting a Rs 5,000 bribe in exchange for allocating transport loads. The Supreme Court examined whether the statutory presumption under s.20 of the Act could be rebutted; it held that the appellant’…

GVK Industries Ltd. challenged a tax order that invoked sections 9(1)(i) and 9(1)(vii)(b) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, arguing that the provisions were unconstitutional for lacking a nexus with India. The High Court upheld the tax provision, relying on the ECIL judgment, prompting a Supreme Court reference to a Constit…

The petitioner filed a public interest litigation under Article 32 alleging that the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and his family acquired assets disproportionate to their known sources of income, violating the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The petition sought a writ of mandamus directing …

The case involved a head‑on collision between a car and a bus in which the car driver, Raj Kumar Dugar, died. His parents claimed compensation from the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT), which awarded a sum based on his present earnings, applied a multiplier, and held both drivers equally liable, directing the ins…

V.C. Mohan was charged under Sections 132 and 135 of the Customs Act for misdeclaration of a Bill of Entry, arrested, and later released on bail. After the investigation, the Customs Department issued a show‑cause notice under Section 124 and the petitioner filed an application before the Settlement Commission, which o…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of the Kerala Judicial Service Rules, 1991 which integrated the Civil Judicial Service and Criminal Judicial Service into a single Kerala Judicial Service. Sub‑rule (4) of Rule 3 fixed a 3:1 ratio for Subordinate Judges versus Chief Judicial Magistrates and a 5:2 ratio for Munsif…

Mafatlal Industries Ltd, a textile manufacturer, brought cloth rolls of 100 metres into the municipal limits of Nadiad and cut them into smaller pieces before sending them out of the town. The issue was whether octroi duty under Section 99 of the Gujarat Municipal Act, 1963 was payable on those cloth pieces. The Gujara…

The petitioners, employees of the Punjab Civil Secretariat, challenged the State's reservation policy, arguing that members of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Backward Classes (BC) who had been promoted under the roster system were being given undue advantage in subsequent promotions against general‑category posts due to the…

The appellants, high‑tension electricity consumers including Real Food Products Ltd., challenged the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board’s tariff revisions, arguing that the board’s imposition of a fuel‑adjustment cost only on high‑tension users and the flat‑rate concession for agricultural pump sets violated Articl…

The State of Andhra Pradesh filed a criminal appeal against the quashing of an FIR registered against IPS officer P.V. Pavithran under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The FIR was lodged on 8 March 1984, but the investigation report was filed only on 17 September 1987, leading the respondent to seek quashing of the FI…

C.D. Ailawadi, an Audit Officer in the Defence Services, challenged his compulsory retirement order issued under rule 56(j)(i) of the Civil Services Fundamental Rules, claiming he had an unblemished record and that no review had been conducted six months before he turned 50 or completed thirty years of service, entitli…

The Bihar State Harijan Kalyan Parishad filed a writ petition challenging two letters—one from the Ministry of Steel and Mines and another from the Steel Authority of India Ltd.—which denied reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in promotions by selection to Group ‘A’ posts with a salary ceiling of Rs. …

The State of Orissa issued notifications under the Orissa Sales Tax Act, 1947, imposing a 10% purchase tax on bamboos and standing trees agreed to be severed. Petitioners challenged the validity of these notifications, arguing that the transactions were not sales of goods, that the tax amounted to double taxation, and …

The petitioners, commissioned officers of the Army Medical Corps, challenged Army Instruction No. 78/78 which limited the enlarged period of ante‑dating of commission to officers commissioned on or after 1 April 1978, alleging discrimination violating Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. The Court examined the langu…

The Supreme Court examined the selection process for District Judge posts in Jharkhand where the High Court, via a Full Court resolution, introduced a 50% aggregate marks requirement after candidates' performances were already assessed. Petitioners challenged this alteration, arguing it violated the 2001 Rules, the 201…

The original appellant, owner of land subject to the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976, claimed that ceiling proceedings became void after the Act was repealed in 1999 and filed a writ petition in 2002. The Allahabad High Court dismissed the writ on 14 March 2008, finding the appellant could not prove posse…

Gautam Mazumdar died in a road accident in 2007, and his widow and minor daughter filed a compensation claim before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT). MACT dismissed the claim for lack of territorial jurisdiction and the review petition was also dismissed. The appellants then filed a petition under Article 227 …

The Supreme Court examined a batch of interlocutory orders by the Allahabad High Court that stayed criminal investigations and trials, resulting in cases remaining pending for years, some up to three decades. The Court held that while High Courts have the power under Article 226 and Section 482 of the CrPC to stay proc…

The State of Punjab appealed the acquittal of CRPF constable Dalbir Singh, who had been charged under Sections 302, 307 IPC and Section 27 of the Arms Act for firing a self‑loading rifle that resulted in the death of a senior officer. The High Court acquitted him on the basis of irreconcilable inconsistencies in the pr…

R.K. Chopra, a Desk Officer, was suspended from service in 1989 and remained under suspension when the Central Civil Services (Revision Pay) Rules, 1997 came into force on 1 January 1996. He claimed entitlement to a revised subsistence allowance based on the new pay scale, filing representations which were rejected, an…

The Delhi High Court advertised 20 District Judge vacancies, reserving three for Scheduled Castes. Two SC candidates, Ramesh Kumar and Desh Raj Chalia, cleared the written test but were deemed unsuitable because they failed to obtain the prescribed minimum marks in the interview. They filed writ petitions under Article…

The appellants filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution seeking quashment of an FIR alleging offences under Sections 420 and 424 of the IPC and Sections 2 and 3 of the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti‑Social Activities (Prevention) Act. The Allahabad High Court dismissed the petition, relying on a ba…

J.K. Synthetics Ltd. dismissed employee K.P. Agrawal for misconduct after an inquiry that found all charges proved. The Labour Court later held the inquiry unfair, found only one charge proved, and substituted dismissal with a lesser punishment of withholding two annual increments, also adding a paragraph granting back…

The Supreme Court examined the murder of four family members allegedly committed by Ravi Virmani, who was convicted and sentenced to death by the Sessions Court and later to life imprisonment by the High Court. The prosecution's case relied mainly on the testimony of the two surviving brothers, without any independent …

The Kerala Tax on Entry of Motor Vehicles into Local Areas Act imposes a tax on any motor vehicle that enters a local area for use or sale and is liable for registration under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Petitioners Bose Abraham and others challenged the tax's applicability to excavators and road rollers, arguing tha…

V.G. Desai, a former telephone operator, sought retirement on medical grounds and the release of his General Provident Fund (GPF). The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) ordered payment of GPF, leave salary and interest from 20 April 1972 but denied pension, later directing that he be treated as retired on 1 June 19…

The Supreme Court examined petitions by the State of Madhya Pradesh and the Union of India challenging a 1991 notification that raised royalty rates on coal under Section 9(3) of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957. The petitioners argued that Section 9(3) was an unconstitutional delegation of…

The accused, S. R. Sadhanantham, was acquitted by the Madras High Court of murder (s.302 IPC) and assault (s.148 IPC). The victim's brother, Arunachalam, filed a special leave petition under Article 136 of the Constitution, obtained leave, and the Supreme Court set aside the acquittal, restoring conviction and life sen…

The petitioners challenged the amendment to Order XL, Rule 3 of the Supreme Court Rules, which allows review petitions to be disposed of by circulation without oral arguments, alleging violations of Articles 14, 19, 21 and the right to a public hearing under Article 32. The Court examined whether the rule was ultra vir…

The appellant, a foreign national serving as Project Manager for Hyundai Engineering & Construction India LLP, was named in FIR No.64/2020 alleging conspiracy and cheating in a Rs 9‑crore payment default involving multiple subcontractors. The appellant sought quashing of the FIR on the ground that the allegations were …

The appellant, B.N. John, owned a hostel for underprivileged children and alleged that officials raided it illegally on 3 June 2015, falsely accusing him of assaulting them. An FIR was lodged under IPC s.353, and a charge‑sheet later added s.186, leading the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) to take cognizance and issue …

The appellants purchased residential plots in Bengaluru between 1995 and 1997, which were later acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) under a preliminary notification dated 29 January 2003. Although possession was taken in 2005, no compensation award was made until a Special Land Acquisit…

The Supreme Court examined a series of seven ordinances issued by the Governor of Bihar between 1989 and 1992 to take over non‑government Sanskrit schools. None of the ordinances were laid before the state legislature as required by Article 213(2) and they were repeatedly re‑promulgated, violating the precedent set in …