Constitution of India

Anmol, a candidate with 58% multiple disabilities, secured a rank of 2462 in the NEET‑UG 2024 PwD category but was denied admission to an MBBS course by the Disability Assessment Board, which relied solely on quantified disability and the "both hands intact" clause in Appendix H‑1 of the 2019 NMC regulations. The High …

The case concerned the computation of pension benefits for employees who had served as 'Job Contractors' under the Odisha Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1992. The State of Odisha appealed against a High Court order that had dismissed its writ appeals on the ground of inordinate delay and had earlier directed that the …

Riya George, a medical student, paid Rs 21.65 lakh for admission to Kannur Medical College, which was later cancelled by the Admission Supervisory Committee (ASC) for non‑compliance with regulations. She received Rs 20 lakh as a partial refund but claimed the remaining Rs 1.65 lakh and damages for the loss of one acade…

Jagdish was convicted by the trial court, High Court and Supreme Court for the murder of his wife and five children and sentenced to death. He filed a mercy petition with the President, but the State of Madhya Pradesh delayed forwarding the petition for more than four years, resulting in a total delay of about five yea…

The appellant was allotted a commercial booth in an open auction in 1996 for Rs.7,55,000 and paid only 25% of the consideration. He failed to pay the balance despite multiple notices, leading the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) to issue a resumption order in 2001. Although the resumption order was initially …

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

The Enforcement Directorate detained Subhash Sharma under a Look Out Circular at IGI Airport on 4 March 2022 and later took him into physical custody on 5 March 2022, but failed to produce him before the nearest magistrate within the statutory 24‑hour period. The High Court held that this breach of Article 22(2) of the…

The State of Jharkhand filed an FIR alleging that Dr. Nishkant Dubey and others forcibly entered the Air Traffic Control (ATC) room at Deoghar Airport, exerted pressure on officials, and caused an unsafe take‑off, invoking Sections 336, 447 and 448 of the IPC and Sections 10 and 11A of the Aircraft Act. The High Court …

The Supreme Court disposed of two appeals. In Indu Bai & Ors. v. State of Telangana, the Court set aside the High Court's order that had allowed the State's challenge to the claim of pre‑partition tenancy and remitted the matter to the High Court for proper determination. In The Home Secretary (Prison) v. H. Nilofer Ni…

The 2017 Manipur Legislative Assembly election produced a hung house; the Congress‑nominated MLA (Respondent No.3) joined a BJP‑led government and was sworn in as a minister. Thirteen disqualification petitions were filed under paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule, but the Speaker failed to decide them for over two …

The Supreme Court entertained a batch of writ petitions filed under Article 32 by death‑row convicts and their families alleging that the executive had unreasonably delayed the disposal of their mercy petitions under Articles 72 and 161, and that other supervening circumstances such as mental illness, solitary confinem…

Biswanath Bhatiacharya, who had been detained under COFEPOSA in the 1970s, was served a notice under Section 6(1) of the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976 (SAFEMA) to explain the source of his wealth, and later a forfeiture order was passed under Section 7. He challenged the…

Five candidates who were serving as Assistant District Attorneys, Public Prosecutors or Deputy Advocate General were selected for the post of Additional District and Sessions Judge in Haryana through direct recruitment. The Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed their appointments, holding that they did not satisfy the …

The appellant, a Vice President of Purchases at Shakti Bhog Foods Ltd., was arrested under the fourth supplementary complaint filed under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) for alleged money‑laundering offences linked to a bank fraud investigated under the Prevention of Corruption…

The Supreme Court examined applications for anticipatory bail filed by the husband and his family in a matrimonial cruelty case where the FIR was lodged in Rajasthan but the bail applications were made in Karnataka. The Court considered whether a High Court or Court of Session can grant anticipatory bail for an FIR out…

The Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission advertised eight vacancies for Civil Judge (Junior Division) in 2013, but later added two names, including Vivek Kaist[h] and Akansha Dogra, to the select list via a government notification. The High Court held that these appointments were illegal because the added vacanci…

The daughter‑in‑law (R2) filed applications seeking recovery of arrears of maintenance and monthly maintenance from her father‑in‑law, Manmohan Gopal, after her husband Varun Gopal abandoned her and obtained a foreign divorce. The Supreme Court noted that the father‑in‑law and the husband had repeatedly defied earlier …

Dr. Balram Singh filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking the full implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 and the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993. The Court examined whether the statutes requi…

The case concerned a rice mill that consumed electricity beyond its contracted load, leading the Executive Engineer to issue a provisional assessment under Section 126 of the Electricity Act, 2003. The mill challenged the assessment and the accompanying notice of "unauthorised use" before the High Court, arguing lack o…

The Supreme Court examined a dispute arising from the acquisition of 56.14 bighas of land for a safety zone around a cement plant, where the original award of compensation was paid by Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) and a supplementary award was later issued. The key issue was whether the liability for the supplementar…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutionality of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014, which created a separate statutory body to manage Sikh gurdwaras in Haryana. The Court held that Section 72 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 and Sections 3 and 4 of the Inter‑State Corporation Act, 1957 are merel…

The appellants, the widow and daughter of Ishwar Singh, challenged the validity of Section 50(a) of the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954, claiming it violated Articles 14, 15, 21 and was repugnant to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 after the latter's Section 4(2) was deleted by the 2005 amendment. The Supreme Court held tha…

The Union of India challenged the constitutional validity of Section 115‑0 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, which imposes an additional 10% tax on dividends declared by domestic companies. Tea companies argued that because up to 60% of their income is agricultural, the dividend is agricultural income and therefore only the…

The State of Rajasthan challenged a sale of land by members of a Scheduled Caste to Aanjaney Organic Herbal Pvt. Ltd., a private limited company, on the ground that Section 42(b) of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955 renders such a transfer void. The company argued that the term "person" in the provision should be given i…

Indure Ltd. was awarded a turnkey contract by NTPC to erect an ash‑handling plant. To fulfil the contract it imported MS pipes and other components, which were sold to NTPC. The company claimed exemption from sales tax under Section 5(2) of the Central Sales Tax Act, 1956, arguing that the sale was in the course of imp…

The case concerned the framing of charges against former MP Sajjan Kumar for alleged involvement in the 1984 anti‑Sikh riots. After the Delhi Police’s closure report, the CBI was tasked with re‑investigation and filed a charge‑sheet in 2010, relying on statements recorded many years after the incident. The appellant so…

The appellant, Ranjit Singh, was found in a locked room with a blood‑stained sword after the step‑mother was discovered dead with incised wounds. The trial and High Courts convicted him under Section 302 IPC based on oral, medical and documentary circumstantial evidence, rejecting his claim that he was already in polic…

The appellant, Gautam Kumar Das, lost his wife and father to COVID-19 shortly after the birth of his daughter Sugandha and temporarily handed her over to his late wife's sister. After remarrying, he sought to regain custody, filing a petition under the Guardians and Wards Act and later a habeas corpus writ, but the Del…

The appellant, sister‑in‑law of Abdul Raoof, challenged his detention under Section 3 of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange & Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA) and the subsequent confirmation order, alleging that the detaining authority had not supplied WhatsApp chat records that were relied upo…

The Supreme Court examined a criminal appeal filed by the State of West Bengal against a High Court order that set aside the conviction of a 25‑year‑old accused under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and Sections 376(2)(n) and 376(3) of the IPC for raping a 14‑year‑old girl who later gave birth to his child. The Court held t…

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) employed 955 workers at its Chennai branch and disputed whether they were its employees or contract labourers hired through a cooperative society. The workers' union claimed they were permanent employees entitled to regularisation under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The matter w…

The Madras Institute of Development Studies advertised for three associate‑professor posts. Respondent No.1 applied, attended the interview and was not selected. He later filed a writ petition alleging that the selection did not strictly follow the qualifications in the advertisement and that the recruitment rules were…

The Supreme Court examined whether service tax could be levied on indivisible works contracts entered into after the Finance Act, 1994 but before the 2007 amendment that expressly made such contracts taxable. It held that the 1994 Act neither charged nor provided machinery to assess service tax on composite works contr…

The Akalakunnam Village Service Co‑op Bank issued a notification to fill one Attender and three Peon posts, reserving one for SC/ST candidates, and conducted a written test and interview. Three applicants filed a writ petition challenging the notification, alleging non‑compliance with Rule 182(5) of the Kerala Co‑opera…

Ajmera Housing Corporation filed an application under section 245C(1) of the Income Tax Act seeking settlement of undisclosed income, initially disclosing Rs.1.94 crore and later revising the annexure to disclose an additional Rs.11.41 crore. The Commissioner of Income Tax objected, arguing that the application did not…

The State of Assam filed a suit under Article 131 of the Constitution seeking a determination of its boundary with the State of Nagaland, which was created by a 1962 Act of Parliament. The Supreme Court, while a Local Commission was already appointed to examine the dispute, ordered that the parties also attempt mediati…

The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi challenged the constitutional validity of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, which inserted Section 3A into the GNCTD Act, 1991 and altered the distribution of legislative and executive powers over Entry 41 of List…

The appeal concerned awards of compensation under the National Highways Act, where the amount was fixed by an arbitrator appointed by the Central Government. The petitioners argued that Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 should allow the court to modify such awards, especially where the award was …

The case involved a US‑born minor girl, M, whose mother (the appellant) fled the United States with her to India and filed for divorce. The father (respondent No.2) obtained a US custody order and sought a writ of habeas corpus in Delhi to have the child returned to the US. The Delhi High Court ordered her return, but …

The appellants applied for the post of Deputy Surveyor and, in the absence of any selection procedure prescribed in the service Rules, the executive issued instructions requiring a written examination and a physical endurance test. All candidates, including the appellants, participated in both components, but the appel…

The dispute involved alleged illegal disposal of association plots through forged documents, leading Respondent No.2 to lodge an FIR against three accused, including the appellant. The appellant sought quash of the FIR under Section 482 of the CrPC, but the High Court dismissed the application. Subsequently, the appell…

The appellants were charged in a criminal complaint alleging forgery and fraudulent sale of land, which was later withdrawn after a compromise in a related civil suit. A third party, unrelated to the dispute, succeeded in reviving the complaint before the High Court, which also granted the appellants regular bail. Six …

Automobile Products India Ltd filed a criminal complaint under Section 630 of the Companies Act, 1956 against its former caretaker, Das John Peter, for refusing to vacate a servant quarter after retirement and for allowing his daughter to occupy it. The company filed the complaint through its factory manager using a po…

The deceased woman was stabbed to death in her matrimonial home, leading to an initial prosecution of four in‑law family members under Sections 498A and 306 IPC, which resulted in acquittal. Two years later, the deceased's brother filed a complaint alleging that six family members, including A‑1 and A‑2, murdered her, …

The Supreme Court heard a batch of writ petitions filed by the All India Judges Association seeking clarification on the promotion and recruitment mechanisms in the judicial services, including the quota for Limited Departmental Competitive Examinations (LDCE), qualifying experience requirements, and suitability tests.…

The Himachal Pradesh government amended its Labour Officer recruitment and promotion rules in 2006, increasing the total posts from five to twelve and introducing a 75:25 ratio of promotion to direct recruitment. Three Labour Officers (respondents 1‑3) who were already in service argued that the vacancies created befor…

The Supreme Court examined the status of the Large-Scale Industrial Area (LIA) in Kota, Rajasthan, and held that the land has remained under the uninterrupted ownership and lessor relationship of the State Government, not transferred to RIICO by the 1979 order. It found that the leases granted to JKSL and later to Arfa…

The State of Odisha and other respondents challenged the appointments of Hindi teachers in aided Middle English (M.E.) schools, arguing that the teachers were appointed without complying with the Odisha Education (Recruitment and Conditions of Service of Teachers and Members of the Staff of Aided Educational Institutio…

The Uttar Pradesh Awas Evam Vikas Parishad (appellant) sought to withdraw from the acquisition of two plots of land under Section 48 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, invoking a 2008 notification that cancelled an earlier 2005 exemption. The respondents, heirs of the original landowner, challenged the withdrawal, argu…

The Supreme Court, hearing a public‑interest writ petition filed by Lok Prahari, addressed the chronic backlog of about 57 lakh cases and the roughly 40% vacancy rate in High Courts. It held that the dormant constitutional provision under Article 224A can be invoked to appoint retired judges as ad‑hoc judges to clear o…

The State of Bihar appealed against the Patna High Court's order granting conditional bail to Amit Kumar, the principal of Vishnu Rai College, who was alleged to be the king‑pin of the "Bihar Toppers Scam" involving tampering of answer sheets, illegal firearms, and large sums of cash and property. The High Court had re…

The State of Himachal Pradesh filed a civil appeal against the Himachal High Court’s order that quashed a Cabinet decision dated 18 July 2009, which discontinued three vocational courses (Art and Craft, Library Science, PTI) in Vocational Training Centres (VTCs). The writ petition originally sought directions for admis…

The appellants were initially appointed as Assistant Engineers on a temporary, ad‑hoc basis in 1986‑88 under the Arunachal Pradesh Administration (Public Works Department) Group‑8 Post Recruitment Rules, 1983, with the understanding that they would be regularised after a two‑year probation. After completing probation, …

The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) withheld grant-in-aid to the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) after multiple committees found irregularities such as fake qualifications, unauthorized promotions and misuse of funds. Seventeen CRRID employees filed a writ petition seek…

The appellant, a Havaldar in the Indian Army, was discharged in 2001 after being diagnosed with AIDS based on a medical report that linked his HIV-positive status with neuro‑tuberculosis. He challenged the discharge, arguing that the diagnosis was erroneous, his CD4 count remained above the threshold prescribed in the …

Pawan Kumar Gupta, convicted of a capital offence, filed a mercy petition with the President of India which was rejected. He challenged the rejection through a writ petition under Articles 32 and 72 of the Constitution, contending that his claim of juvenility had not been finally decided, that he suffered torture in pr…

The appellant, Dr. Subhash Kashinath Mahajan, a senior government official, was charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for refusing sanction to prosecute two senior officers who had made adverse entries in his service record. He sought anticipatory bail and the quashing o…

Moushmi Ann Jacob owned 14.57 acres of land classified as paddy land and applied to change its nature under the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008 to obtain an education loan. The State demanded a conversion fee of 10% of the fair value of the entire land, invoking a 2021 Government Notification th…

The appellant, convicted of murder and sentenced to thirty years without remission, filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court but suppressed the fixed‑term nature of his sentence, leading the Court to initially treat the case as a simple life sentence. The SLP was drafted by senior advocate Rishi Malhot…

Kuldeep Kumar contested the mayoral election of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation held on 30 January 2024. The presiding officer, Anil Masih, declared the BJP candidate Manoj Kumar Sonkar elected, treating eight ballots cast for the appellant as invalid after marking them with an ink line. Video evidence and physica…

The husband filed for divorce on the ground of adultery and sought a DNA test of their son, born during the marriage, to establish paternity. The Family Court and the High Court ordered the DNA test, but the Supreme Court set aside those orders, holding that the conclusive presumption of legitimacy under Section 112 of…

The Supreme Court examined whether Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) was subject to the 24‑April‑1990 notification issued under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, and whether the workmen who were engaged through contractors were direct employees of BHEL. The Court held that BHEL’s Haridwar ope…

Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd., a government‑owned company, terminated the services of employee Partha Sarathi Sen Roy under a clause that allowed dismissal at the company's sole discretion without reason. The employee challenged the termination by filing writ petitions, contending that the clause was unconstitutional and th…

The State of Assam filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) under Article 136 of the Constitution challenging only the Gauhati High Court's order dismissing its review petition, without challenging the original judgment of the Writ Appeal dated 20 November 2007. The Court examined whether an SLP can be entertained when the…

The appellant, a senior medical officer about to retire, was served with a charge‑sheet alleging misconduct for taking leave without sanction, defying Election Commission directions, not participating in a pulse‑polio programme, and threatening a senior assistant. An inquiry officer found most charges unproved, yet the…

The appellants owned a 10,034 sq. m. plot in Ahmedabad that had been under temporary acquisition by ONGC since 1996 for oil exploration. After purchasing the land in 2005, they were paid a nominal rent of Rs 24 per sq. m. per annum, later increased to Rs 30, and sought a writ to quash the temporary acquisition and rele…

Advocate-on-Record Siddharth Rajkumar Murarka filed a writ petition seeking to use the style "Law Chambers of Siddharth Murarka, Sole Proprietor Siddharth Rajkumar Murarka" on his letterhead and Vakalatnama, arguing that such a designation is permissible and that other High Courts allow it. The petition raised two ques…

The appellant, a tenant, challenged the Bank of India's attempt to take possession of a mortgaged premises under the SARFAESI Act after the landlord defaulted on a loan. The Court examined whether Section 35 of the SARFAESI Act, a non obstante clause, could override the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 and allow the …

The Supreme Court dismissed appeals and writ petitions filed by employees of the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (JNVS) who sought to be covered under the Office Memorandum (O.M.) dated 1‑May‑1987 and the Central Civil Service (Pension) Rules, 1972. The Court held that NWD…

Surender Singh Parmar retired from the Indian Navy after 13 years, 10 months and 13 days of service, short of the 15‑year qualifying period for pension. He claimed that, under the Ministry of Defence instructions of 30 Oct 1987, a fraction of service of three to six months should be rounded up to a half‑year, allowing …

The petitioners, industrial units in the hill areas of Uttar Pradesh, claimed a 33.33% Hill Development Rebate on electricity charges granted under a 1996 notification issued pursuant to Section 49 of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948. Subsequent notifications reduced the rebate to 17% and finally withdrew it entirely…

The appellant, C.I.T., Mumbai, challenged the assessment that the twisting and texturising of partially oriented yarn (POY) did not constitute "manufacture" under Section 80IA of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Court examined expert testimony that POY is a semi‑finished yarn which, after undergoing a thermo‑mechanical pr…

The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) conducted recruitment for Junior Health Inspector Grade‑II positions and published rank lists, but several vacancies remained unfilled due to overlapping candidates and non‑joining. The State Government, after a Tribunal order, recommended that KPSC expand the rank lists to f…

The Supreme Court examined a consumer complaint filed by two trusts on behalf of credit‑card users alleging that banks were charging exorbitant interest rates of 36%‑49% p.a., which the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) had deemed an unfair trade practice and capped at 30% p.a. The Court held that…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal by NOIDA Toll Bridge Company Ltd. (NTBCL) against a High Court order that halted toll collection on the Delhi‑NOIDA Direct Flyway (DND Flyway). The dispute arose from a 1997 Concession Agreement granting NTBCL the right to build, operate and collect tolls, which a residents' welfare…

The appellant filed a civil suit for specific performance which was referred to mediation under Section 89 of the CPC and settled amicably; he sought a full refund of the court fees paid, but the trial court allowed only a 50% refund. He challenged this in a writ petition, arguing that Section 16 of the Court Fees Act,…

The State of Punjab appealed a High Court order that directed the original sale certificate of auction‑purchased property to be handed over to the purchaser and that the stamp duty deposited by the purchaser be refunded. The dispute arose from the liquidation of M/s Punjab United Forge Ltd., where M/s Ferrous Alloy For…

The husband and wife were married in 1989; the wife later filed a criminal complaint against the husband and his family under several IPC provisions and the Dowry Prohibition Act, which led to their arrest. The husband filed for divorce on the grounds of cruelty and alleged irretrievable breakdown, and the wife was lat…

P. Gunasekaran, a Deputy Office Superintendent in Central Excise, was dismissed after a departmental inquiry found him guilty of falsifying attendance records and impersonating an executive officer. Although he was later acquitted of related criminal charges, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) upheld the dismiss…

The Rajkot District Cooperative Bank Ltd. and other specified cooperative societies challenged the delimitation of constituencies for elections to their managing committees under Gujarat Specified Co‑operative Societies Election to Committee Rules, 1982, specifically Rule 3‑A sub‑rules (8) and (9). They argued that the…

The petitioner, Remdeo Chauhan, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life imprisonment by the Governor of Assam after a recommendation from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Relatives of the victims challenged the commutation, arguing that the NHRC lacked jurisdiction a…

The petitioners, a civil society organization, filed a writ under Article 32 seeking mandatory implementation of the Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and its Rules across the Union and all States/UTs. The Court examined the statutory scheme, particularly the duties of the…

The case concerns three bighas of land in Bikaner purchased by Gordhan Dass and co‑owners in 1970, which the Urban Improvement Trust later claimed to have acquired under the Rajasthan Urban Improvement Act, 1959. The Trust issued acquisition notices to the original khatedars recorded in the revenue records but not to t…

The Supreme Court examined a series of appeals concerning the Most‑Favoured‑Nation (MFN) clause in India’s DTAA’s with the Netherlands, France and Switzerland. The assessees argued that the MFN benefit should apply automatically when India later entered into a DTAA with another OECD member, even if that third country w…

The appellant, Hemant Narayan Rasne, who was elected Chairman of the Standing Committee of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) just before the corporation's five‑year term expired on 14 March 2022, filed a writ petition seeking to continue the Standing Committee’s existence despite the appointment of an Administrator afte…

The appellant, Rajesh Awasthi, was appointed Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission after a Selection Committee forwarded his name with a note that the government must first ensure compliance with Section 85(5) of the Electricity Act, 2003. The petitioner challenged the appointment, ar…

The appellant filed an FIR under dowry and related offences against the respondent. The respondent's family filed a criminal miscellaneous writ petition seeking to quash the FIR; the High Court stayed the arrest of the respondent and ordered a monthly deposit of Rs 2,000. After the investigation closed and the magistra…

The case concerned Civil Assistant Surgeons (CAS) in the Andhra Pradesh Medical and Health Services who, after obtaining a post‑graduate degree, were transferred laterally to the teaching cadre as Assistant Professors. The transferred officers claimed that their prior service as CAS should be counted for seniority in t…

The Supreme Court examined a series of challenges to the draft Constitution of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) raised by Rahul Mehra and other stakeholders, focusing on issues such as the inclusion and eligibility of eminent players, the definition of office‑bearers, the number of vice‑presidents, disqualifica…

In 2013 a car collided with a 14‑wheeler that had been abandoned in the middle of a highway without any warning lights or markers, killing the car's driver and three passengers while one passenger, Smt. Sushma, survived with injuries. The claimants filed compensation claims under the Motor Vehicles Act against the owne…

O.P. Gupta was appointed in 1967 as Assistant Charge Man in the Rajasthan Agriculture Engineering Board, later transferred to the Rajasthan State Agro Industry Corporation, and resigned in 1977 to take up a post of Assistant Director (Agro‑Industries) in the Department of Industries after selection by the RPSC. Upon re…

The Supreme Court examined whether Section 3J of the National Highways Act, 1956, which excludes the Land Acquisition Act's provisions on solatium and interest, violates Article 14 of the Constitution. The Court held that solatium is an integral part of compensation for compulsory acquisition and that the 1997 amendmen…

Syscon Consultants entered into a 1985 agreement to purchase a coastal island in Goa from defendants 1‑6, who misrepresented themselves as sole owners and concealed a mortgage and a sister's pre‑emptive rights. The plaintiff paid an advance and later discharged the mortgage by paying Rs 17 lakh, but the defendants fail…

The appellants Jagat Rai, Deepak Rai and Bachcha Babu Rai were convicted for the pre‑meditated murder of an informant, his wife and five children by locking them in a house and setting it ablaze, motivated by the informant's refusal to withdraw an FIR. The trial court sentenced all three to death, a decision affirmed b…

The Jharkhand High Court had appointed 17 Additional District Judges (ADJs) to the regular cadre under a 2001 advertisement, but later appointed another 25 ADJs as Fast Track Court (FTC) judges using the same merit list. The petitioners, sub‑judges, challenged these later appointments as illegal, arguing that FTC posts…

The appellant, D.M. Nagajara, a habitual offender involved in multiple serious crimes, was detained under Section 3 of the Karnataka Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug-Offenders, Gamblers, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Slum-Grabbers Act, 1985. He challenged the detention order, arguing tha…

The respondent, a Sheristadar in the Tamil Nadu State Judicial Ministerial Service, was transferred from Thoothukudi to Ramanathapuram on administrative grounds following a vigilance report and a district judge’s opinion that his retention was undesirable. He later claimed the transfer was punitive because it barred hi…

The appellant, Banatwala & Co., a tenant of premises owned by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), sought fixation of standard rent and restoration of essential services under the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 after the landlord raised rent and failed to repair a lift. The respondents argued that the premise…

The appellants, six former daily‑wage employees (Class‑IV peons/attendants and a Class‑III driver) were engaged by the U.P. Higher Education Services Commission between 1989 and 1992 and continued to work for decades. The Commission repeatedly sought sanction of fourteen permanent posts for such workers, but the State …

The appellants were appointed to Class III posts in the Jharkhand State Electricity Board through an internal advertisement in 2009, but their appointments were later cancelled en masse on the ground that they were beyond the sanctioned strength. The High Court Division Bench held the appointments illegal and set aside…

K. Prabhakar Hegde, a former officer of Vijaya Bank (later merged with Bank of Baroda), was dismissed after disciplinary proceedings for alleged irregularities in approving temporary overdrafts. He challenged the denial of the preliminary inquiry report, the failure of the Inquiry Officer to generally question him as r…

Ghanshyam Upadhyay, a lawyer, filed a criminal miscellaneous petition seeking the dissolution of a Commission of Inquiry that was set up to investigate the alleged encounter killing of Vikas Dubey. He alleged bias and conflict of interest against the Commission's Chairman, Justice B.S. Chauhan, and its member, K.L. Gup…

The appellant was originally granted a quarry lease in 1978, which was renewed in 1983 and later, after a lapse, a fresh lease was issued on 26 June 1991 under Rule 3 of the Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession Rules. That 1991 lease, along with the Government Order of 18 June 1991, was subsequently quashed by the High C…

The Governor‑cum‑Chancellor of Bihar appointed several Vice‑Chancellors and Pro‑Vice‑Chancellors without adhering to the statutory requirement of meaningful consultation with the State Government under the Bihar State Universities Act and the Patna University Act. Dr. Ram Tawakya Singh, a professor, challenged these ap…

The appellant, Ram Kumar, applied for the post of police constable in Uttar Pradesh and affirmed in his recruitment affidavit that no criminal case was pending against him. A criminal case (Cr. No. 275/2001) had earlier been registered against him but he was acquitted by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on 18 J…

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) issued a 1990 order granting time‑bound promotional scales only to directly recruited Assistant Engineers or those deemed directly recruited by meeting prescribed qualifications. Respondent Krishan Kumar Vij, a promotee who had completed 16 years of service but lacked the requisi…

Teesta Atul Setalvad was arrested in June 2022 for alleged offences under Sections 468, 469, 471, 194, 211, 218 and 120B of the IPC, relating to alleged influence over false affidavits concerning documents from 2002‑2012. After being denied bail by the trial court and the High Court, the Supreme Court granted her inter…

The State of Tripura, following a High Court directive, reconstituted a society to manage the Tripura Medical College, giving the society its own recruitment rules and a mixed composition of government and non‑government members. Dr. Ashok Sinha filed a public‑interest litigation challenging the college’s admission pro…

The Supreme Court examined a challenge to the recruitment of Assistant Inspectors of Motor Vehicles (Group‑C) in Maharashtra, where a petitioner who had never applied for the post sought to quash the 2016 recruitment Rules, the advertisements of 2017 and the select list of 832 candidates. The High Court had allowed the…

The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) and its successor GMADA were found to have charged excess rates for plot allotments, which the High Court reduced. The allottee, Jagtar Singh, sought interest on the refunded excess amount, but PUDA declined, citing no policy for interest. After PUDA failed to …

The Supreme Court was asked to decide whether it can transfer civil or criminal proceedings pending in any court of Jammu and Kashmir to a court outside the State and vice‑versa, despite the fact that Sections 25 of the CPC and 406 of the CrPC do not apply to Jammu and Kashmir and the State codes contain no such provis…

The Supreme Court examined appeals by land owners from the villages of Harthala and Mukkarrabpur who sought enhancement of compensation awarded under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The Land Acquisition Officer had fixed modest rates, which were later enhanced by a reference court, but the High Court restored the origi…

The appellant, a general‑category candidate who secured the 95th rank in the 1998 Civil Services Examination, was allocated to the Manipur‑Tripura Joint IPS cadre, while an OBC candidate (respondent No.4) with the 133rd rank was allocated to the Andhra Pradesh cadre. The appellant claimed that the conversion of a gener…

The appellant, a father, lost his five‑year‑old son when a tanker struck the boy as they walked to school on a road that had no footpath or pedestrian crossing. The father filed a claim for Rs 25,00,000 before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, which awarded Rs 7,82,000 with interest; the High Court later reduced the …

S. Kasi was arrested on multiple IPC charges and remained in judicial custody for over 73 days without a charge sheet being filed. He applied for default bail under Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, arguing that the Supreme Court’s order dated 23 March 2020, which extended limitation periods for civil p…

The appellant, Parvinder Singh, was subject to an ECIR and arrested, after which the Enforcement Directorate filed a prosecution complaint under the PMLA on 24 June 2024. The Special Court took cognizance of the offence on 2 July 2024, after the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) had come into force, without giv…

M/s Patanjali Foods Ltd. (formerly Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd.) challenged the customs department’s encashment of bank guarantees that were furnished as security under interim High Court orders. The company argued that such encashment could not be treated as "payment of duty" for purposes of a refund under Section 27 of…

The appellant, a casual worker appointed by a West Bengal municipality in 1991 and later placed on probation, sought regularisation of his service under government orders that mandated absorption of pre‑1991 casual employees. Despite several court orders directing his absorption and the regularisation of many similarly…

The Ministry of Home Affairs floated a tender for the supply of Glock pistols, which was awarded to Glock Asia‑Pacific Ltd. The tender’s conditions stipulated that any dispute be referred to a sole arbitrator appointed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, specifically an officer of the Ministry of Law. The…

The Supreme Court examined the recommendations of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission (SNJPC) concerning pay, pension, gratuity, retirement age and related service conditions for the district judiciary. The petitioners, All India Judges Association, sought uniform designations, a pay matrix with a 2.81 multipli…

The Supreme Court, hearing a suo motu writ concerning the massive pendency of cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, noted that over 33 lakh complaints were pending, a sharp rise from 26 lakh five months earlier. An expert committee had recommended the creation of de novo special NI courts, but amic…

The Supreme Court examined whether the GST Council’s recommendations are binding on Parliament and the States, and whether the import of goods on a CIF basis creates an inter‑state supply that makes the Indian importer the deemed recipient of shipping services. It held that the Council’s recommendations are merely pers…

The petitioners, a prominent journalist and media owner, challenged fourteen FIRs and complaints filed in various states arising from a single television broadcast on 21 April 2020, alleging that the FIRs violated their freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a). The Supreme Court examined whether multiple FIRs on the sa…

The appellant was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly setting a maid on fire by pouring kerosene on her, leading to her death. The prosecution's case relied on the victim's multiple dying declarations and circumstantial evidence, as there were no eye‑witnesses. The appellant contended that the Supreme Court, …

Pernod Ricard India, a sub‑licensee under the Madhya Pradesh Excise Act, was issued a demand notice in November 2011 for a penalty on excess loss of foreign liquor during the 2009‑10 license year. The notice sought a penalty calculated at four times the duty, as prescribed by the original Rule 19 of the 1996 Foreign Li…

The appellant, Vallampati Sathish Babu, participated in the 2012 direct recruitment for teachers in Andhra Pradesh and secured the 34th rank for 33 notified vacancies. One of the 33 selected candidates failed to appear for counselling, leaving a post vacant. The appellant sought appointment to the unfilled post, relyin…

The State of Uttarakhand challenged an order of the Uttarakhand Public Service Tribunal that directed the department to ignore certain uncommunicated entries in the service records while considering a promotion. The High Court disposed of the writ petition without addressing any of the grounds raised and merely directe…

The plaintiff, a pardahnashin lady, sued to declare two gift deeds as void, alleging she was misled into executing them under the impression of a power of attorney. The trial court, after reappreciating the evidence, declared the deeds void and decreed in favour of the plaintiff. The first appellate court dismissed the…

Mahaveer Kumar Jain, a resident of Rajasthan, won a Rs.20 lakh prize in the 1986 Sikkim State lottery. The prize was taxed at source under the Sikkim State Income Tax Rules, 1948, and Jain claimed a deduction under Section 80TT of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Assessing Officer and subsequent authorities held that the …

The case concerned an election to the Thiruvalla East Cooperative Bank Ltd., where the petitioners challenged the exclusion of a large number of members from the voters list and the conduct of the election. The High Court, invoking its power under Article 226, extended the one‑month period prescribed by Section 69(3) o…

The Supreme Court examined petitions filed under Article 32 seeking an inquiry into the death of Judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya, who died on 1 December 2014 while presiding over the Sohrabuddin case. The petitioners relied on media reports alleging foul play and questioned the conduct of the judges who accompanied the …

The husband Kalyan Dey Chowdhury and his wife Rita Dey Chowdhury (née Nandy) were married in 1995 and later divorced. The wife sought permanent alimony under Section 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act, which was initially set at Rs.16,000 per month in 2015. The husband’s net salary rose from Rs.63,842 to Rs.95,000, prompting…

The case concerns the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the filing of a joint charge‑sheet by the CBI covering 49 FIRs alleging offences such as criminal conspiracy, hate offences and dacoity. The High Court held that a technical defect in the State notification preventing a joint trial was curable, but the Special Co…

Essar Steel Ltd. and other off‑takers had long‑term contracts to purchase regasified LNG (RLNG) at a fixed price. In 2007 the Union Government issued a policy directive to pool RLNG prices and apply a uniform, non‑discriminatory price to all long‑term contracts, which raised the price for the appellants. The appellants…

The Supreme Court examined multiple Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) arising from a protracted dispute over the acquisition and transfer of shares in Bombay Oxygen Corporation Ltd. The dispute involved Messer Holdings GmbH (MGG), Goyal Gases Ltd (GGL), the Ruia family (RUIAS) and a joint venture company Messer Holdings L…

The State prosecuted nine accused for the armed assault and murder of Manohar Lal and his wife Sushila, resulting in 30 and 33 injuries respectively. The trial court convicted all nine under Sections 148, 302/149 and 325/149 IPC. The High Court upheld convictions of six accused but acquitted Shakuntla, Premwati and Sar…

The Supreme Court examined the status of judges appointed on an ad‑hoc basis under the Fast Track Courts (FTC) Scheme and whether they were entitled to regularisation or absorption into the permanent judicial cadre. It held that the appointments were expressly temporary, terminable at will, and did not confer any indef…

The case concerned the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007 and whether members of the Empowered Standing Committee (ESC) nominated by a Mayor must vacate when a new Mayor is elected after a no‑confidence motion. The appellant, newly elected Mayor Afjal Imam, sought to nominate his own seven councillors to the ESC, but the Distri…

The appellants were convicted of murder (Section 302 IPC) based largely on the testimony of three eye‑witnesses (PWs 2‑4) who claimed to have seen the assailants stabbing the deceased. The defence challenged the conviction, arguing that the presence of these witnesses at the scene was doubtful and that the statements r…

The petitioners, parents of victims of alleged police encounters in Gujarat, filed writ petitions seeking a CBI investigation into the deaths, alleging the encounters were staged. The Gujarat High Court constituted an Investigation Team and, after a Metropolitan Magistrate’s inquiry under Section 176 CrPC found the enc…

The appellant, a movie producer, borrowed money from the complainant on the promise of a share in profits and later issued post‑dated cheques to repay the principal, which later bounced. The complainant filed a criminal complaint for cheating under Section 420 IPC and criminal breach of trust under Section 406 IPC. The…

The appellant, Tapas Kumar Das, applied for an LPG distributorship at Haripal block, was selected in a draw, and submitted land documents for a showroom. HPCL later cancelled his candidature, alleging the land was in mouza Gopinagar, not the advertised location, and invoked clause 8A(n) of the Unified Guidelines. The a…

The State of Kerala appealed against a Kerala High Court order that granted bail to Mahesh, who was accused of brutally murdering a young doctor in the presence of her father. The Sessions Court had denied bail, citing the seriousness of the offence, the risk of witness tampering, and the accused's prior absconding. Th…

The appellant, a Rajya Sabha MP and JD(U) leader, petitioned the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha to disqualify respondent Sharad Yadav under paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule, alleging that Yadav had voluntarily given up JD(U) membership by aligning with the RJD. The Chairman, after due process, disqualified Yadav on…

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) occupied godowns and silos that were constructed by the Central Government on land acquired before 1964 and claimed exemption from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's property tax under Article 285(1) of the Constitution. The Municipal Corporation argued that, under Section 146 of t…

Akshay Kumar Singh, a convict in the Nirbhaya case, filed a mercy petition with the President of India, which was rejected on 19 March 2020. He subsequently filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the rejection, alleging miscarriage of justice, solitary confinement, torture, media influence, and a pending di…

Mukesh, a convicted participant in the Nirbhaya case, filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution challenging the merits of his conviction and a series of subsequent orders, including the High Court's upholding of the conviction, a review petition, a curative petition, a mercy petition rejected by the Pr…

The appellants challenged High Court orders that allowed elected councillors, whose caste validity certificates were rejected by the Caste Scrutiny Committee, to retain their seats pending judicial review. Section 5B of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act provides that failure to submit a caste validity certificate wi…

The case involved a dispute between ITC Limited, the auction purchaser of a five‑star hotel, and Blue Coast Hotels Ltd., the original borrower, under the SARFAESI Act. The borrower argued that the creditor (IFCI) violated s.13(3A) by not replying to its representation for loan rescheduling and that the inclusion of agr…

The Supreme Court heard a writ petition filed by the National Campaign Committee for Central Legislation on Construction Labour (NCC‑CL) seeking effective implementation of the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 (BOCW Act) and the Building and Other Co…

The appellant, Vipulbhai M. Chaudhary, was removed as Chairperson of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. through a motion of no confidence. He challenged the removal, arguing that neither the Gujarat Cooperative Societies Act, 1961 nor the Federation's bye‑laws contain a provision for such removal. T…

The petitioner, a defendant in a suit concerning the genuineness of a will, sought a second forensic opinion after being dissatisfied with the first report; the trial court rejected this request and the High Court dismissed his writ petition. He filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) under Article 136 of the Constitution…

The NGO Avyaan Foundation filed a public‑interest writ seeking a mandamus directing the Union and State governments to construct feeding and child‑care rooms in public places for nursing mothers. The petition argued that lack of such facilities infringes the fundamental rights of mothers and children, invoking Article …

The appellant complained to the district collector in 2021 that respondent No.6 had demanded money to secure a job for his brother, leading to an inquiry that recorded mutual allegations of money‑extraction. Despite being aware of the complaint, respondent No.6 waited three years before lodging an FIR in July 2022 alle…

The Supreme Court examined whether members of the subordinate judicial service who had previously practiced as advocates for seven years could compete for District Judge vacancies under the quota reserved for advocates as per Article 233(2) of the Constitution. It held that such judicial officers are ineligible for dir…

Shabnam Hashmi filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a declaration that the right to adopt and to be adopted is a fundamental right under Article 21 and that adoption should be permitted irrespective of religion, caste or creed. The petition also asked the Union of India to enact an optional law on adoption. T…

The case concerned a disciplinary proceeding against Ch. Gandhi, a senior accountant, who was punished with reversion to junior accountant for two years and postponement of future increments. The question was whether this constituted two major penalties under Rule 9 of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Services (Classification,…

Constable Sunil Kumar of the CRPF was found to have consumed liquor and threatened senior officers, an act of insubordination and misconduct. After a departmental enquiry, the disciplinary authority dismissed him under Section 11 of the CRPF Act, 1949, following Rule 27 of the CRPF Rules, 1955, and the dismissal was co…

The appellant, S. Krishna Sradha, was denied admission to the MBBS course under the sports quota despite being more meritorious than the candidates selected. The High Court, relying on the two‑judge decision in Jasmine Kaur, refused admission and awarded monetary compensation, holding that the cut‑off date for admissio…

Pawan Kumar applied online for a BPCL retail outlet dealership and was selected by draw of lots, offering land owned by third parties that was then subject to a dispute. An unsuccessful contender alleged that Kumar had supplied false information regarding the land ownership, leading the High Court to set aside Kumar's …

The petitioner-wife Rinku Baheti filed a transfer petition seeking to move a pending divorce suit to the Pune Family Court and opposed the respondent-husband Sandesh Sharda's application under Article 142(1) for a decree of divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage. The parties had a brief marriage o…

The appellant, P. Manikandan, was originally convicted of kidnapping and murdering a four‑year‑old girl and sentenced to death, but the Madras High Court acquitted him on the ground of reasonable doubt. The High Court, however, ordered the transfer of the case file to the CBI and directed a de‑novo reinvestigation and …

The Supreme Court examined appeals filed by Allahabad University and its affiliated colleges challenging a Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court that had read down Regulation 10(f)(iii) of the UGC 2018 Regulations, holding it inapplicable to the shortlisting of Assistant Professor candidates. The petitioners argue…

The appellants, licensed distributors of aromatic tincture of cardamom, were prohibited from selling the product by a District Magistrate’s order and subsequent actions of a drug inspector, who classified it as an "alcohol mixed tincture" and a prohibited article. The appellants challenged these restrictions in the Hig…

The appellant, Siddhant @ Sidharth Balu Taktode, was arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 and remained incarcerated for about five years without being produced before the trial judge on most of the 102 scheduled dates, and without charges being framed. The Special Judge and the High Court…

The Supreme Court, hearing a suo motu writ petition concerning the treatment of COVID-19 patients and the handling of dead bodies, took note of a fatal fire incident in a Gujarat COVID hospital and other fire incidents in similar facilities. The Court examined the adequacy of fire safety measures, the implementation of…

In the biennial Rajya Sabha election from Jharkhand, MLA Amit Kumar Mahto cast his vote at 9:15 a.m. on 23 March 2018, but was convicted later that afternoon. The petitioner, Pradeep Kumar Sonthalia, challenged the validity of that vote, arguing that the conviction rendered Mahto disqualified under Article 191(1)(e) of…

The case concerns the conviction and death sentence of Akshay Kumar Singh, a bus cleaner, for his participation in the gang rape and murder of a young woman on a Delhi bus (the Nirbhaya case). Singh filed a criminal review petition challenging the Supreme Court's 2017 judgment that upheld his conviction and death penal…

The drivers employed by the Government of Tamil Nadu claimed parity with about 3,000 similarly placed drivers who had been granted higher Selection Grade and Special Grade pay scales of Rs 5000‑8000 and Rs 5500‑9000 under G.O. No. 162, invoking Article 14 of the Constitution. The High Court had allowed the claim, but t…

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

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

K.K. Saksena, a former Secretary of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), challenged his termination in a writ petition under Article 226, alleging arbitrariness and violation of Article 14. The Delhi High Court dismissed the petition, holding that ICID is not a "State" within Article 12 and d…

Sudarshan Rajpoot, a driver employed permanently by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, suffered grievous injuries in a vehicle accident caused by a mechanical defect. The corporation struck his name off the contract roll, alleging negligent driving, and terminated his services without complying with st…

Pepsico India Holdings Pvt. Ltd., the manufacturer of sweetened carbonated water, was prosecuted after a public analyst reported the presence of the pesticide carbofuran (0.001 mg/L) in its product, alleging adulteration under Rule 65 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules, 1955 and Section 2(ia)(h) of the Preven…

M/S. Nava Bharat Ferro Alloys Ltd. appealed against the demand for additional charges and interest on delayed electricity payments under Clause 32.2.1 and Clause 34 of the Terms and Conditions of Supply (TCS). The High Court had dismissed the writ petitions and upheld the demand, holding the TCS to be statutory and not…

The Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action, an NGO, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking comprehensive guidelines for the effective implementation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (PCMA), including the appointment of exclusive Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) and support mecha…

The case concerned Pranav Srinivasan, born in Singapore in 1999 to parents who had renounced Indian citizenship by acquiring Singapore citizenship in 1998. Pranav applied in 2017 for resumption of Indian citizenship under Section 8(2) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the High Court held he was entitled to it, but the …

The Uttar Pradesh Government, under Section 5 of the Uttar Pradesh Trade Tax Act, 1948, issued a notification granting a tax rebate on cement containing fly‑ash, but only to units located within Uttar Pradesh. Cement manufacturers in neighboring states, who purchased fly‑ash from Uttar Pradesh but produced cement outsi…

B. Amrutha Lakshmi, an Assistant Commissioner of Sales Tax in Andhra Pradesh, filed a petition challenging the State Government's refusal to forward her name for selection to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) under the IAS (Appointment by Selection) Regulations, 1997. Although she satisfied all statutory criteria…

The joint‑venture Ratnagiri Gas & Power Pvt. Ltd. (RGPPL) cancelled a breakwater tender after discovering that the lowest bidder, RDS Projects Ltd., did not meet the qualifying criteria of a 400‑metre offshore breakwater. RDS first withdrew a writ petition (8252/2010) with liberty to challenge its exclusion in a fresh …

Kishore Samrite, a former MLA, filed writ petition No.111/2011 in the Allahabad High Court as a next friend of three residents of Amethi, alleging their illegal detention and a rape by Rahul Gandhi (respondent No.6). A second writ petition No.125/2011 was filed by Gajendra Pal Singh as a next friend of the same three p…

The appellant, a 25‑year‑old roadside cheese vendor, suffered fractures in a motor accident and claimed compensation for loss of future earnings. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded a modest sum, basing the claimant's monthly income on the minimum wage and deducting one‑third for personal expenses, while treatin…

BHEL awarded a contract for an ash‑handling plant at the Yadadri Thermal Power Station to BTL EPC Ltd. BTL’s bid relied on a consortium‑type agreement with the Chinese firm Fujian Longking, which was not registered with the competent authority as required by the Public Procurement Order for entities from countries shar…

The appellants, long‑time tenants of a parcel of agricultural land, sought to exercise their statutory right to purchase the land after the landlord, a widow, died and her interest passed to her heir. The lower courts held that the tenants had lost the right because they failed to give the required intimation under Sec…

The deceased, a 24‑year‑old self‑employed motorcyclist, was killed when his bike was struck by a car driven by respondent No.3. The father and sister of the deceased filed a claim under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 for compensation, which was initially awarded by the MACT at Rs.3,39,208. The Punjab & Har…

The Supreme Court was approached by several private medical colleges whose recognition for the 2014-15 academic session had not been renewed, risking a large number of vacant MBBS seats. The petitioners argued that defects identified in earlier inspections had been remedied and sought permission to admit students. The …

The Rajasthan Police Subordinate Service Rules, 1989 provided for reservation of SC/ST/BC posts. Advertisements for Constable and Sub‑Inspector were issued in October 2010. While the selection process was underway, the State issued a circular on 11 May 2011 allowing any reserved‑category candidate, even if he/she had t…

The case concerned the pay‑scale disparity between Vocational Masters and Vocational Lecturers in Punjab schools. The State Government had issued a notification on 16 July 2003 restricting the higher pay‑scale (Rs.6,400‑10,640) to only those Vocational Masters appointed before 8 July 1995 and possessing certain qualifi…

The case concerned the acquisition of abadi land in Gautam Budh Nagar for the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The State issued a notification invoking Section 17 (emergency powers) and took possession of the land on 4 February 2003 without, according to the appellants, p…

The appellant, a truck driver, was charged with causing death and injuries when his stone‑laden truck overturned on a state highway, leading to convictions under IPC sections 304‑A, 279, 337 and 338. The prosecution relied primarily on the testimony of three injured witnesses who were in the vehicle, alleging that the …

The appellants, a 70‑year‑old widow and her daughter, entered into an oral agreement to sell a plot of land in Telangana, receiving a large sum via bank transfers but later refusing to execute the sale deed. The complainant, an agent of a powerful builder, filed a criminal complaint alleging fraud and intimidation, lea…

The appellant, a Nepalese national, was arrested in 2015 for allegedly supplying high‑quality counterfeit Indian currency and was charged under Sections 489B and 489C of the IPC and Section 16 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. After more than nine years of incarceration, only two prosecution witnesses …

Petitioner, a chartered accountant, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a direction to all states and the GST Council to implement an electronic Document Identification Number (DIN) system for communications issued by state tax officers, arguing it would enhance transparency and accountability in indirect ta…

The Supreme Court examined the Lodha Committee's recommendations for reforming the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after a public interest litigation. It held that the Committee's report is merely recommendatory and does not bind the BCCI unless the Court directs it, and that the recommendations do not inf…

The Supreme Court examined four notifications issued by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Dental Council of India (DCI) that introduced a single National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS, BDS and postgraduate medical courses. Petitioners, including Christian Medical College Vellore an…

The appellant institute granted a lecturer three years of study leave to pursue a Ph.D. and paid him full salary and allowances. The lecturer returned to duty but failed to produce a Ph.D. certificate, prompting the institute to recover Rs.12,32,126 paid during the leave. The High Court ordered the institute to refund …

A Muslim couple divorced; the wife filed a petition under Section 125 of the CrPC for maintenance, which the Family Court converted into an application under Section 3 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 and ordered maintenance. The High Court set aside the conversion, holding the Family Cou…

The case involved an acid attack on a woman at a railway crossing, where accused Hakim (Accused No.1) and Umesh (Accused No.2) were convicted under Section 326A read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The appellants challenged the conviction on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove the eye injury and …

The appellants, members of OBC‑NCL, MBC‑NCL and EWS, applied for the post of Civil Judge under a Rajasthan High Court advertisement dated 22 July 2021 and scored higher marks in their reserved categories, but their caste or income certificates were issued after the last date of application (31 August 2021). The Rajasth…