Indian Penal Code, 1860

The Supreme Court examined two questions referred to a larger bench: whether an order of anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) must be limited to a fixed period, and whether such bail terminates when the accused is summoned or when charges are framed. Relying on the Constitution Benc…

The case involved the murder of Bairam, the son of complainant Heera, arising out of a long-standing land dispute and enmity between the parties. The trial court convicted all accused under Sections 148, 302 r/w 149 and 307 r/w 149 IPC, but the Rajasthan High Court acquitted four accused and convicted the remaining thr…

Satni Bai was convicted of murdering her four‑year‑old son under Section 302 IPC. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence: witnesses (her brother‑in‑law, sister‑in‑law and a 16‑year‑old girl) saw her standing near the corpse with a blood‑stained axe, the axe and her saree were found blood‑stained, and the pos…

The appellants, Vishnu Kumar Shukla and his wife, were charged under IPC sections 448, 454 and 380 for allegedly breaking into a shop and stealing goods. They contended that the complaint was frivolous, based on a forged tenancy agreement, and that the FIR was an abuse of process. The trial magistrate rejected their di…

The appellants were convicted under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code for attempting to murder the complainant, based on an incident where they allegedly tried to stab him with knives, causing only simple abrasions. The trial court sentenced them to ten years' rigorous imprisonment, which the High Court reduced to f…

The appellant, Abhishek Saxena, was charged under IPC sections 323, 384 and 406 for alleged assault, extortion and criminal breach of trust arising from a FIR filed on 4 September 2016. He had earlier filed a petition for dissolution of marriage and a guardianship application under the Guardians & Wards Act, 1890, befo…

The case concerned the murder of Ravi Prakash, alleged to have been committed by accused Nos.1, 2 and 4 under Sections 302 and 120B IPC. The trial court convicted the three accused based on the testimony of two eye‑witnesses and medical evidence, but the High Court acquitted them, finding material inconsistencies in th…

The appellant's son and daughter‑in‑law were teachers at a school where the first respondent, Vinayak Bhagat, repeatedly called and harassed the daughter‑in‑law. Despite the son’s attempts to stop the calls, an altercation occurred and the son later committed suicide, leaving a note blaming the respondent. An FIR under…

Chhanun Lal Verma was convicted of murdering three persons and attempting to murder others, and was sentenced to death and life imprisonment by the Sessions Court, a decision affirmed by the High Court. On appeal, the Supreme Court held that the High Court failed to apply the "rarest of rare" doctrine correctly, as the…

The State of Himachal Pradesh prosecuted Manga Singh for raping his nine‑year‑old cousin who was staying at her aunt's house. The child testified that the accused forced her to sleep with him and inserted his private part into hers, a claim she reported to school teachers who lodged an FIR. The trial court convicted th…

The petitioner, Manohar Lal Sharma, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a direction that the film "Padmavati" not be exhibited abroad without a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and that the CBI register an FIR against the film's producers under Section 7 of the Cinematograph Ac…

The appellants were originally charged under IPC sections 323, 504 and 506. Two years later, following a complaint to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, the Commission directed the police to add an offence under Section 3(1)(x) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, resulting in a supplementary charge‑…

The incident arose when the deceased's cattle trespassed into the fields of the appellants, leading to a heated exchange. Later that day, while seated in adjacent compounds, an altercation escalated; the appellants, urged by others, fetched a gun and shot the deceased, who was also assaulted with lathis. The trial cour…

The respondents were convicted under IPC sections 323 and 498‑A and under Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, and sentenced to imprisonment and fine. They sought release on probation of good conduct under Section 4 of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958. The question before the Supreme Court was whether Sect…

The appellants Suresh and others were convicted for kidnapping and murdering Devender Chopra and his son Abhishek, and for concealing evidence, under IPC sections 302, 34, 364-A, 201 and 120-B. The Supreme Court held that the prosecution evidence, including the recovery of the victims' bodies and belongings at the accu…

The appellant K. Ravi Kumar was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC and cruelty under Section 498‑A IPC for stabbing and setting his wife on fire. He appealed, contending that the killing occurred during a sudden quarrel without pre‑meditation, thus falling within Exception 4 to Section 300 IPC. The Supreme Court…

Sankar Ghosh, a Sepoy of the Kolkata Armed Police, was arrested and charged under IPC sections 392, 395 and 412 and Arms Act sections 25 and 27 for alleged involvement in a dacoity. A departmental inquiry found him guilty and he was dismissed from service. The Sessions Court later acquitted him on the ground that the p…

The appellants Maohu @ Madhuranatha and others were convicted for the robbery‑murder of the son of PW‑22, based largely on circumstantial evidence, and were sentenced to death under Sections 302 and 364 IPC read with Section 34. The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction, holding that circumstantial evidence alone can s…

The accused Shambhu Kewat and Banwari Kewat assaulted shopkeeper Abdul Rashid with an iron rod, causing grievous injuries and were convicted under Section 307 read with Section 34 of the IPC, receiving a ten‑year rigorous imprisonment sentence. After the conviction, the victim and the accused reached a monetary settlem…

The Punjab State Warehousing Corporation filed a private criminal complaint under Sections 406 and 409 of the IPC alleging a shortage of rice entrusted to the respondents. The trial court had earlier exempted the complainant from personal appearance, but later dismissed the complaint in default on the ground that the c…

The appellant advanced Rs 2 crore to respondent No.2 as a business loan, secured by cheques described as "security" and promised to be repaid by June/July 2015. The cheques were presented for encashment in October 2015 after the repayment deadline and were dishonoured for insufficient funds. The appellant filed crimina…

The Supreme Court examined bail applications of two accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) for alleged offences under Sections 38, 39 and 13. The Court held that the charge‑sheet material did not show reasonable grounds to believe that the accusations under Sections 38 and 39 were prima fac…

Shree Mahavir Carbon Ltd filed a criminal complaint under IPC sections 420, 406, 468, 471 (also 419, 486) alleging cheating, siphoning of funds and falsification of accounts by Om Prakash Jalan and others. The Judicial Magistrate took cognizance and issued summons. The respondents moved the High Court under CrPC s.482 …

The appellant husband and his mother‑in‑law were accused of dowry death after the bride, aged about 24, was found strangled and burnt in her matrimonial home within three years of marriage. The prosecution proved, on circumstantial evidence, that the accused repeatedly demanded a Maruti car as dowry, harassed the victi…

The appellant, Chotkau, was convicted and sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a six‑year‑old girl based solely on the testimonies of three prosecution witnesses and circumstantial evidence. The Supreme Court found serious contradictions in the witnesses' accounts regarding the FIR filing, the handling of the …

Maheshwar Tigga was convicted by the trial court and the Jharkhand High Court for rape, voluntarily causing hurt and wrongful restraint under Sections 376, 323 and 341 IPC, based on the prosecutrix’s allegation that he assaulted her when she was a minor. The Supreme Court examined whether the prosecutrix was indeed a m…

Five eminent citizens filed a writ petition under Article 32 on behalf of five human‑rights activists arrested in connection with the Bhima‑Koregaon violence. The petitioners alleged that the arrests were fabricated, that the police were using the media to prejudice public opinion, and sought a Special Investigating Te…

The appellant was convicted under IPC s.376(2)(f) for sexually assaulting a nine‑year‑old girl. The victim initially identified the appellant in a test identification parade (TIP) but later turned hostile and refused dock identification. The High Court upheld the conviction on the basis of the FIR, medical report, seme…

The case concerned the abduction and murder of former MLA M.K. Balan. The prosecution’s case against appellants A‑3 (Manickam), A‑4 (Somasundaram) and A‑15 (Bomb Selvam) relied primarily on the testimony of two alleged accomplices, PW‑10 and PW‑11, supported by peripheral witnesses and documentary evidence. The trial c…

In 2003 a police constable attempted to escort two men to the police station; one, Hussain Ibrahim Siddi, grabbed and pushed the constable while his wife and mother intervened verbally. All three were convicted under IPC sections 325, 506(2), 333, 342 and 114 and sentenced to three years, later reduced by the Gujarat H…

In July 1994, Baljinder Singh and his brother Bhupinder Singh assaulted Kulwinder Singh, the owner of a cart that had inadvertently entered their paddy field, inflicting knife and fist injuries. The trial court convicted Baljinder under IPC sections 326 and 324, sentencing him to four years rigorous imprisonment with a…

The appellant Rajesh Kumar was convicted of murdering two children, aged four years and eight months, and was sentenced to death by the trial court and the Delhi High Court. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the death penalty was justified under the "rarest of rare" doctrine, emphasizing the need to balance…

The appellants, the in‑laws of Amani Moharana, were convicted by the trial court for murder based on two dying declarations of the deceased, one recorded by a doctor (PW‑8) and another by a police officer (PW‑9) under Section 161 of the CrPC. The High Court discarded the doctor’s declaration as a Xerox copy but upheld …

The appellants, Raja Gounder and others, were convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of their brother amid a land dispute. The prosecution's case relied on the testimony of the deceased's widow, who was also the sister‑in‑law of the accused, and on medical evidence showing multiple injuries…

The President of India referred a matter under Article 317(1) of the Constitution seeking the removal of Ms. Mepung Tadar Bage, a member of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC), alleging misbehaviour in connection with the leakage of the Assistant Engineer (Civil) Mains Examination question paper in …

The Bank of Baroda issued a possession notice under the SARFAESI Act to recover defaulted loans, but a clerical error inflated the outstanding amount, leading the borrower Phoenix India to allege defamation and file a criminal complaint under Sections 499, 500 and 501 IPC against the Bank's senior officers. The magistr…

The Supreme Court examined the bail granted by the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court to respondent No.1, who was accused of conspiracy, cheating, forgery and criminal breach of trust in a massive financial scam involving a cooperative society. The prosecution alleged that the respondent withdrew approximately ₹9 cr…

The appellant Prem Prakash was in judicial custody for a separate ECIR (No. 4 of 2022) when the Enforcement Directorate recorded statements from him under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for a new ECIR (No. 5 of 2023). The High Court had denied his bail, relying on those statements, but the …

The case arose from a violent clash between CPI(M) and IPF workers in Karanda village, West Bengal, where a mob set fire to houses, assaulted occupants and caused five deaths and twenty‑four serious injuries. The trial court acquitted all 82 accused, relying on alleged inconsistencies in eyewitness testimony, a stamped…

The CBI alleged that Maninder Singh, together with a co‑accused, obtained credit facilities from New Bank of India by submitting forged documents and colluding with a bank manager, thereby cheating the bank of over Rs 10.62 lakh. After a lengthy investigation, a charge‑sheet was filed under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 …

The appellants were convicted under Sections 148, 302 read with 149, 341, and 323 of the IPC for the death of Khushal Salgar. The prosecution relied on the testimony of two eye‑witnesses, a dying declaration, and forensic evidence. The Supreme Court examined whether the evidence established a common object to cause mur…

The appellants, prominent badminton players and their coach, were accused in a private complaint of falsifying birth records to gain entry into age‑restricted tournaments, leading to the registration of an FIR under Sections 420, 468, 471 and 34 IPC. The complaint relied mainly on an unauthenticated 1996 GPF nomination…

Gajanan Dattatray Gore was arrested for offences under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating and criminal breach of trust. He applied for regular bail before the High Court, which granted bail on the condition that he would deposit Rs 25,00,000 within five months, based on an affidavit‑undertaki…

The case arose from the Bhima‑Koregaon violence of December 2017, after which the National Investigation Agency (NIA) expanded the investigation, searched the residences of several activists and arrested Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira. The prosecution alleged that the two were members of the banned CPI (Maoist) and…

The appellant, an informant and prosecution witness, identified three persons named in the FIR but omitted from the charge‑sheet as assailants during his examination‑in‑chief. He moved an application under Section 319 of the CrPC to summon these persons, which the trial court allowed. The High Court, on revision, set a…

The appellant, a public servant, was convicted under Section 13(1)(d)(ii) read with Section 15 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 477A of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly manipulating measurement books and causing excess payment in school construction works. The prosecution alleged that he reduced…

On the night of 2-3 November 2015, the deceased Vilas Gawande was attacked by four accused; two of them wielded an axe while the other two, Sanjay Puran Bagde and Rajratna (Nandu) Bagde, held the victim. The victim’s wife, an eyewitness, testified that all four were present and that the accused had a pre‑meditated plan…

During the 2015 Kerala budget presentation, several opposition MLAs climbed onto the Speaker's dais and damaged furniture, leading to a criminal case under IPC sections 427, 447, 34 and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984. The public prosecutor sought to withdraw the prosecution under Section 321 of t…

The appellant, Parminder Kaur, a single woman living with her child and mother, was convicted under IPC sections 366A and 506 for allegedly enticing a minor girl to illicit intercourse with her tenant boy and for threatening the victim’s brother. The prosecution’s case rested on the testimony of the minor victim and he…

The Supreme Court examined the death of Archana Mishra, who died of poisoning within six weeks of marriage, and determined that she had been subjected to cruelty and harassment by her husband and in‑laws in connection with dowry demands. The prosecution established the essential ingredients of Section 3048 IPC and the …

The appellant, Sudarshan Kumar, was convicted under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code for abetting the suicide of his wife, Sudesh, who could not conceive a child and was repeatedly harassed, beaten, and sent away by him. The trial court sentenced him to seven years' rigorous imprisonment, a sentence upheld by the H…

Ram Niwas and four others were tried for the murder of Sher Singh and the attempted murder of Chanda. The trial court convicted Ram Niwas under Sections 302 and 307 of the IPC, acquitting the remaining accused and giving benefit of doubt to two of them. On appeal, the appellant argued that the testimony of two key witn…

The appellant, a kitchen employee of a hotel, attacked the managing director with a concealed sickle, inflicting multiple injuries. The victim, a known heart patient who had undergone angioplasty, died the following day; medical evidence attributed death to myocardial infarction and not to the injuries. The trial court…

The case involved three accused—Birappa (A‑1), Kareppa (A‑2) and Muttappa (A‑3)—charged with the murder of Gulappa. The trial court convicted Birappa based primarily on the testimony of a single eyewitness, PW‑1, the brother of the deceased, while acquitting the other two. On appeal, the High Court upheld Birappa's con…

The appellant, Beere Gowda, was charged with murdering his two‑and‑a‑half‑year‑old daughter Pallavi by forcibly administering a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acid, obtained from a goldsmith, while his second wife Indramma was a co‑accused. The Sessions Court acquitted both, holding that the child might have ingested …

Six persons were tried and convicted for the double murder of Ram Swarup and Ram Pratap Singh under Section 302 read with Section 149 of the IPC. While the appeal was pending, four of the accused died, and the High Court dismissed the appeal of the two survivors, Shiv Singh and Deo Narain. Deo Narain challenged his con…

Satpal Singh was convicted of rape under Section 376 IPC for assaulting the minor Rajinder Kaur. He appealed, arguing that the FIR was lodged after an inordinate four‑month delay, that the victim was a major, and that the act was consensual because they were schoolmates. The Supreme Court held that the delay was explai…

The appellant, Arumugam, murdered his step‑mother Saroja by strangling her with a rope. He made an extra‑judicial confession first to his step‑sister and shortly thereafter to the Village Administrative Officer, who recorded the statement and handed him over to police. The rope was recovered, and post‑mortem evidence s…

The appellant kidnapped a 13‑year‑old schoolboy and demanded a ransom of Rs 2 lakhs, but the prosecution failed to prove that he threatened the victim’s death or hurt, nor that his conduct created a reasonable apprehension of such harm. The Sessions Court and High Court convicted him under IPC s.364A, interpreting the …

The appellants were charged under sections 120B, 420, 468 and 471 of the IPC and section 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly diverting bank funds. Parallel civil recovery proceedings before the Debt Recovery Tribunal were settled through a One Time Settlement (OTS) in which the ba…

The appellant, Batlanki Keshav (Kesava) Kumar Anurag, sought to quash FIR No. 103 of 2022 alleging offences under Section 376(2)(n) IPC and Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, claiming the allegations of sexual relations under a false promise of marriage were fabricated. The de‑facto complainan…

Gurmeet Singh was convicted under Section 304‑B of the IPC for the dowry‑related death of his wife, who died after consuming poison within four years of marriage. The appellant challenged the conviction, arguing that the prosecution had not proved the "soon before" dowry demand, that the presumption of causation under …

The appellants were convicted for dowry death (Sec. 304B IPC) and abetment of suicide (Sec. 306 IPC) after the victim died from severe burns within a year of marriage, allegedly following dowry harassment. The Supreme Court examined whether the prosecution had proved the essential ingredients of Sec. 304B, including th…

The appellant Kusti Malliah and his co‑accused were convicted for the murder of Neelagiri Parvamma and for stealing her ornaments, offences punishable under IPC ss.302, 404 read with s.34. The prosecution relied primarily on the testimony of a sole eye‑witness (PW‑6) who saw the assault from a distance, corroborated by…

The appellant was accused of raping and murdering a three‑year‑old girl and was convicted under Sections 376(2)(f) and 302 IPC, receiving a death sentence which was later commuted to life imprisonment. The prosecution's case rested mainly on two circumstantial facts – the appellant pointing out the location of the vict…

Karan Singh was convicted for the murder of Raj under IPC s.302, the prosecution alleging a motive of non‑payment of Rs 47,000 for a buffalo. Eye‑witnesses Maya Devi (PW‑3) and her daughter Birma (PW‑4) saw the appellant dragging the victim with a rope, and an independent witness (PW‑8) corroborated the allegation. The…

The appellant, Ravirala Laxmaiah, was convicted for murdering his wife Balamani by strangulation and for dowry-related harassment under IPC sections 302 and 404. The trial court and High Court relied on circumstantial evidence, the appellant’s failure to explain the death (last‑seen theory), false statements to the vic…

Swiss Timing Ltd., a Swiss company, entered into a contract with the Commonwealth Games 2010 Organising Committee to provide timing and scoring services. The Committee failed to pay the agreed fees, prompting Swiss Timing to invoke the arbitration clause in the agreement. The Committee objected, claiming the contract w…

Chunni Bai was convicted of murdering her two young daughters after the trial court and High Court upheld a Section 302 IPC conviction. She claimed she acted under the influence of an invisible power, asserting unsoundness of mind under Section 84 IPC. The Supreme Court examined the eyewitness testimony, medical autops…

The case concerns the honour killing of a Dalit boy, Murugesan, and his Vanniyar bride, Kannagi, in 2003. Police officers Sub‑Inspector K.P. Tamilmaran (A‑14) and Inspector M. Sellamuthu (A‑15) failed to register an FIR despite being informed of the murders and later fabricated evidence to implicate Dalit relatives whi…

The appellant, Ravish Singh Rana, was accused by his live-in partner of raping her after refusing to marry, leading to FIR No. 482 of 2023 under IPC sections 376, 323, 504 and 506. The appellant sought quash of the FIR invoking Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, arguing that the two-year cohabitatio…

The case arose from a private complaint alleging that the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) filed a false affidavit with the Election Commission of India, contradicting its constitution submitted to the Gurudwara Election Commission, thereby violating the secularism requirement of Section 29‑A of the Representation of People…

Ganesh Benzoplast Ltd. (complainant) entered into Inter‑Corporate Deposit agreements with Morgan Securities & Credits Ltd., pledging shares as security. When the value of the pledged shares fell, the lender invoked the pledge and sold the shares to itself and its group companies in 2001. The complainant waited until 20…

The appellant Digambar, brother of the deceased Pooja, and his accomplice Mohan were convicted of murdering Pooja and her lover Govind, who were found dead after being taken on a motorcycle. The trial and high courts sentenced Digambar to death and Mohan to life imprisonment, deeming the case "rarest of rare". On appea…

The State of Andhra Pradesh appealed against a High Court order that granted a writ of habeas corpus, directing the release of a life convict (P. Reddy Bhaskar) who had escaped twice and was later sentenced to a one‑year simple imprisonment for kidnapping. After being granted special remission for his life sentence, th…

The State of Madhya Pradesh appealed against the High Court's acquittal of Phoolchand Rathore, who had been convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of his wife under sections 302 and 201 IPC. The prosecution's case rested on alleged motive (a dispute over jewellery), a disclosure statement and recovery of blood…

The mother of the deceased sought a reinvestigation of a murder case (IPC ss.302, 120B) by the Central Bureau of Criminal Investigation (CBCID) after the accused had been chargesheeted and a quashing petition dismissed. The Secretary (Home), Uttar Pradesh, ordered the transfer of investigation to CBCID based solely on …

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigated alleged disproportionate assets of D. Dwarakanadha Reddy and others under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, filed a closure report under Section 173(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in 2008, and the Special Judge accepted it. In 2013 the CBI obtain…

The case concerned the murder of Hari Shankar whose body was found in an apartment rented by the appellant Santosh @ Bhure. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence – tenancy of the flat, the presence of blood, a suicide letter allegedly written by co‑accused Neeraj, and recovery of a knife and blood‑stained c…

The appellants, three villagers, were convicted for the murder of Gokalbhai and the assault of two others after a quarrel over rent and animosity. The prosecution presented 32 witnesses, medical and post‑mortem reports, serological evidence and the testimony of injured witnesses who identified the accused. The defence …

The appellant, previously acquitted of kidnapping and rape offences, repeatedly threatened and teased the victim, a teenage girl, leading her to set herself ablaze and die. The victim’s dying declaration, recorded by a Head Constable in the presence of a doctor, implicated the appellant as the sole cause of her death. …

The appellant Upendra Pradhan was convicted for murder under IPC sections 302 and 34, based on the High Court's reversal of an acquittal granted by the Additional Sessions Judge. The appellant contended that he was a juvenile at the time of the offence and that the benefit of doubt should apply, also challenging the re…

Hari Shanker and three others were convicted for the murder of Shiv Shanker under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC. The prosecution's case rested on the eye‑witness PW2 who said Hari fired the first shot, striking the victim's wrist, while other accused fired the fatal abdominal shot. The High Court acquitte…

The appellants were acquitted by the trial court for a murder under IPC s.302 read with s.149, but the High Court convicted them on the basis of testimonies of two related witnesses, PW‑4 and PW‑5, who were brothers of the deceased. The Supreme Court examined two issues: the scope of an appellate court's power in an ap…

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

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

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

Two government doctors were alleged to have engaged in private practice after hours, charging Rs 100 per patient, in violation of a government circular that prohibited such practice without permission. An FIR was lodged under Section 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section…

The appellant, a former President of the BCCI, challenged an amendment to Clause 6.2.4 of the BCCI's Regulations that exempted IPL, Champions League and Twenty‑20 events from the ban on administrators having commercial interests. He argued that the amendment was made to benefit the second respondent, who as a BCCI offi…

The actress S. Khushboo made remarks in a 2005 news‑magazine survey endorsing societal acceptance of premarital sex and live‑in relationships. Several members of the PMK political party filed criminal complaints alleging defamation, obscenity, indecent representation of women and incitement under the IPC and the Indece…

Vijender Kumar, son of a bus operator, suspected his helper Yogesh of stealing part of the bus fare. After a personal search recovered Rs 100, Kumar became angry, beat Yogesh and then retrieved a knife from a nearby scooter to stab him in the abdomen, causing Yogesh's death. He was convicted under Section 302 IPC for m…

Mohan Mali and another were convicted under IPC sections 302, 324 and 326 and sentenced to life imprisonment. One co‑accused, Dhanna Lal (appellant No.2), claimed he was a juvenile at the time of the offence. The Supreme Court examined the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, …

The appellant, a Rajya Sabha member, posted a video of a mass‑marriage on the social‑media platform X, in which a poem was recited in the background. The poem was alleged to promote communal enmity, leading the police to register an FIR under Sections 196, 197(1), 299, 302, 57 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. T…

The appellant filed an FIR alleging that four persons shot his father dead over a boundary dispute. While the chargesheet named only two of the alleged shooters, the trial court, relying on the testimonies of two prosecution witnesses, summoned the other two persons under Section 319 of the CrPC. The High Court set asi…

The appellant, Mohd Muslim, was arrested in 2015 in connection with a seizure of 180 kg of ganja and charged under Sections 20, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act. The prosecution relied on statements of co‑accused, the appellant’s confessional statement and bank‑transaction records, but failed to produce any direct evidence li…

The State of Punjab appealed against the High Court's order reducing the sentence of Dil Bahadur, who had been convicted under Sections 279 and 304A of the IPC for rash and negligent driving that caused one death and two injuries. The High Court had lowered the term from two years rigorous imprisonment to eight months,…

The case involved the murder of Pradip Phukan, alleged to have been committed by a group of thirteen persons who entered his house and assaulted him with sharp weapons, resulting in his death. The trial court convicted eleven accused under Sections 147, 148, 149, 302, 326, 447 and 34 of the IPC, sentencing them to life…

The appellant was convicted under IPC sections 366, 376 and 302 for raping, kidnapping and murdering a woman, and the trial court sentenced him to life imprisonment for the murder. The appellant appealed, arguing that only the High Court or Supreme Court can impose a modified punishment such as a fixed-term life senten…

Harita Sunil Parab, a practising advocate in Mumbai, filed FIRs in Delhi and Ghaziabad alleging offences under various IPC sections and later sought to have those cases transferred to Mumbai, claiming threats from the accused, fear of a biased investigation and personal inconvenience. The Supreme Court examined whether…

The deceased, Chanabasayya, was killed when he fell from a tractor‑trailer owned by respondent No.2 while returning from unloading maize at Holealur. His father filed a claim under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 seeking compensation from the insurer (respondent No.1), the vehicle owner (respondent No.2) an…

Virupakshappa Gouda and another were charged under several IPC sections, including 302 and 149, for an alleged honour killing. They applied for bail repeatedly; the trial court and High Court rejected the first two applications and a Special Leave Petition, but a third application was granted bail by an Additional Sess…

The case involved an alleged unlawful assembly in which members of two rival groups clashed, resulting in the death of a farmer, Channegowda. The accused were convicted by the Karnataka High Court on charges including murder (Sec. 302 IPC) and assault (Sec. 324 IPC) despite the trial court’s acquittal. On appeal, the S…

The Supreme Court considered appeals by two police officers, an IPS officer and a Sub‑Inspector of the Anti‑Terrorist Squad, who had been in judicial custody for nearly seven years on charges of murder, conspiracy and related offences. Their bail applications had been rejected by the High Court of Bombay. The Court exa…

The Supreme Court, acting suo motu, examined a gang rape of a 20‑year‑old woman in West Bengal ordered by a community panchayat as punishment for an inter‑community relationship. The Court directed a district judge and chief magistrate to investigate, and later required the State to furnish the FIR, investigation repor…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 (as amended) after a 23‑year‑old woman was murdered and one of the accused, Raju, was a minor. Petitioners sought to have the Act read down so that juveniles who commit serious offences could be tr…

R. Ramachandran Nair, the first Vice‑Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, was accused of obtaining a pecuniary advantage while overseeing earth‑filling of university land. An FIR was lodged in 1996 and a charge‑sheet filed after an 8½‑year delay, without obtaining the prior sanction of the Universit…

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

The appellant, Sudershan Singh Wazir, was arraigned as an accused in a murder case and was discharged by the Sessions Court on 20 October 2023 upon furnishing a personal bond. The State of Delhi filed a revision challenging the discharge and the Delhi High Court, ex‑parte, stayed the discharge order and later directed …

The case arose from a motor vehicle accident on 13 January 2016 in which the deceased, Vijay Jumnalkar, was killed after his vehicle was struck by a Bolero driven at high speed. The claimants, the deceased's wife and son, filed a claim under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicle Act seeking compensation, which the Motor Acc…

The appellant, a former District Collector, was charged under Sections 409, 219 and 114 of the IPC for allegedly misusing his official position to restore government land to private allottees who were not cultivating it and were residing abroad. The High Court dismissed his application under Section 482 CrPC to quash t…

The appellants were convicted for the murder of Ahsan Ali under Sections 302 and 149 of the IPC based on the testimony of a single eyewitness and alleged recovery of weapons. The Supreme Court examined the credibility of the eyewitness, the absence of forensic evidence linking the accused to the crime, and the suspect …

The appellant Indrajit Das was convicted for murder under Sections 302, 34 and 201 of the IPC based largely on circumstantial evidence and extra‑judicial confessions. The prosecution alleged that the victim Kaushik Sarkar went missing after riding with the appellant and a juvenile, and that the accused assaulted and di…

The deceased, Jayashree, married appellant No.3 and was allegedly subjected to physical and mental harassment by her mother‑in‑law and father‑in‑law (appellants) for dowry. She died by jumping into a well, and the prosecution charged the appellants under IPC sections 498A (dowry harassment) and 306 (abetment of suicide…

The appellant filed a written complaint on 10 July 2012 alleging that the respondents had failed to return silver entrusted to them, with the alleged offence dated 4 October 2009. An FIR was registered and a charge‑sheet filed, after which the Judicial Magistrate took cognizance on 4 December 2012. The respondents cont…

The appellants, Shiv Shankar Prasad Singh and Ramdeo Prasad, were officials/contractor handling urea bags for the Food Corporation of India. They were alleged to have conspired to misappropriate a total of 1,040 bags of urea and to falsify gate‑register, ‘G’‑Form and ‘O’‑Form entries to show that 500 bags had been deli…

The appellant, Chhanga (Manoj), was part of a four‑person group that hurled two bombs at a shop where an informant was present, causing only minor injuries because the bombs exploded at a distance. The appellant shouted "kill him" and was charged under Section 307 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for attem…

The appellant, Gandi Doddabasappa, was convicted by the Karnataka High Court for killing his daughter Shilpa, allegedly because she married a man of a lower caste. The trial court had acquitted him, dismissing the sole eyewitness testimony of PW‑18, but the High Court relied on that testimony, corroborated by forensic …

Five accused attacked Rajagopal with deadly weapons, inflicting twelve serious injuries that led to the amputation of both his legs. Rajagopal, the injured eye‑witness, gave a detailed, uncontradicted testimony identifying each accused and describing the specific weapons used and injuries inflicted. The trial court con…

The case involved the murder of a woman whose decapitated body was recovered in a gunny sack from a canal. The Sessions Court convicted the two accused brothers on the basis of alleged motive, a "last seen" theory, recovery of the body, their absconding and false information given to the victim's father, and sentenced …

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleged that Narendra Lal Jain and others conspired with officials of the Bank of Maharashtra to inflate the creditworthiness of companies and obtain loans beyond entitlement, invoking Sections 120‑B and 420 of the IPC and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Acts. While …

The appellant, a transport operator, complained that a Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner (respondent No.2) demanded payment of passenger tax at his residence, received Rs. 2 lakh, and released the appellant's impounded buses, allegedly cheating him and embezzling public money. The Judicial Magistrate issued a sum…

Five men (Surendra, Narendra, Yogesh, Amar Pal and Anil Kumar) attacked Ramchandra Singh with a burri, knife and lathis after a pending criminal dispute, inflicting multiple injuries that caused his death the next day. The trial court convicted them under Section 302 read with Section 149 of the IPC, along with Section…

The appellant, Brajendrasingh, was convicted of murdering his wife and their three young children after alleging an illicit affair between his wife and a neighbour. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence, forensic findings, and the appellant's own statements under Section 313 CrPC, while the defence claimed …

The Supreme Court examined the conviction of four accused for the rape and murder of Rajkumari, based primarily on the testimony of a 16‑year‑old servant, PW6, who was the sole eye‑witness. The Court found that PW6's statement was reliable, corroborated by medical evidence and the testimony of the victim's mother, and …

The appellant, Chandrabhan Sudam Sanap, was convicted of rape and murder of a 23‑year‑old woman and sentenced to death, based largely on circumstantial evidence, CCTV footage, witness testimonies, an alleged extra‑judicial confession and recovered items. The Supreme Court examined whether the prosecution's evidence sat…

The appellant, Gambhir Singh, was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of his brother, sister‑in‑law and their four children. The prosecution relied on three alleged incriminating circumstances – motive, last‑seen testimony and recoveries of weapons – to link the appellant to the crime. The Supreme Court hel…

Centrum Financial Services Ltd., a non‑banking financial company, filed a criminal appeal against the Delhi High Court’s order granting bail to Jayant Kumar Jain (Respondent No.2) in a case involving alleged siphoning of Rs 25 crore through shell companies and offences under IPC sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120…

Rajendra Khare, who lodged FIR No.39/2016, was not made a party to a transfer petition filed by the accused seeking to move the trial of Criminal Case No.3483 of 2017 from Delhi to Allahabad. The Supreme Court transferred the case on 18 May 2018 without issuing notice under Order XXXIX Rule 2, and the petitioner’s subs…

The victim, Urmila (Guddi), was married into a family that repeatedly demanded additional dowry and subjected her to physical and mental cruelty. After returning to her parental home due to harassment, she was burnt under suspicious circumstances and later died, leading to three dying declarations—two recorded while th…

The appellant Satya Raj Singh was convicted for murder under Sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, based on eyewitness testimony that he stabbed the deceased on the neck with a knife. He challenged the conviction on the grounds that the trial courts erred in accepting the eye‑witnesses' statements and that the …

The State of Rajasthan prosecuted Ram Kailash alias Ram Vilas for shooting Mangla Ram, who later died from his injuries. The trial court convicted the accused under Section 302 IPC (murder) and sections of the Arms Act, imposing life imprisonment and additional terms. On appeal, the Rajasthan High Court reduced the mur…

The case involved an altercation in 1994 where the complainant Jagdish and his sons were cutting reeds on land also claimed by the accused Jage Ram and his sons. During the fight, the second accused Rajbir (Raju) delivered a pharsi blow to the head of the son Sukhbir, causing grievous injuries that required emergency s…

The petitioner, Sanjay Kumar, alleged that he was appointed as a senior lecturer in a purportedly fake dental college, received post‑dated cheques for salary which later bounced, and consequently filed a criminal complaint under various IPC sections and Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The High Court quas…

Mohinder Singh was convicted of murdering his wife and daughter with an axe after a history of rape, intimidation and prior convictions. The trial court sentenced him to death, which the High Court confirmed under Section 366 of the CrPC. The Supreme Court examined whether the "rarest of rare" doctrine justified the de…

The State alleged that Dr. Mahender Singh Dahiya strangulated his wife Namita during their honeymoon in Brussels, dismembered her body and disposed of the parts, while the prosecution failed to produce a weapon, reliable forensic identification of the body parts, or a clear motive. The trial court convicted Dahiya unde…

The respondent filed a criminal complaint alleging fraud in a land transaction, which was dismissed by a Judicial Magistrate under Section 203 of the CrPC. After the dismissal became final, the respondent filed a second complaint on almost identical facts, suppressing the existence of the first complaint. The appellant…

The prosecution alleged that Musheer Khan (A‑4) and Basant Shiva (A‑5) were hired killers who shot the deceased Mallu Bhaiya at close range, based largely on circumstantial evidence and the testimony of two eyewitnesses, PW‑3 and PW‑4. The trial court convicted them of murder under IPC s.302/1208 and the Arms Act s.25(…

The appellant Ram Singh was accused of raping a 40-year-old midwife, Chanchala Devi, on the night of 12-13 August 1989, after being persuaded to accompany a co-accused to a village. The victim testified that she was gagged, assaulted, and forced into sexual intercourse, a narrative corroborated by her son, a village he…

The petitioner filed an FIR alleging rape (Sec. 376D) and kidnapping (Sec. 342) against the accused and a co-accused. The victim's statement was recorded under Sec. 164 CrPC, but neither the victim nor her mother (an eye‑witness) had been examined when the accused applied for bail. The trial court denied bail, but the …

The appellant, a news‑channel editor, was arrested in November 2020 in connection with an FIR under Sections 306 and 34 of the IPC alleging his role in the suicide of a contractor who claimed unpaid dues. He filed a petition under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution and Section 482 of the CrPC seeking quashing of the …

The appellant Palani was convicted for the murder of his nephew Sankar under Sections 148, 435 r/w 149 and 302 r/w 149 of the IPC. The prosecution's case rested on the testimony of the victim's mother (PW‑1), who identified the accused and described the assault, and was corroborated by medical evidence and recovered we…

The appellants were convicted for the murder of Veerappan and his mother Marudayi based primarily on the testimony of PW‑5 Srinivasan, the victim's brother and a related, interested witness who also harboured enmity against the accused. The appellants challenged the conviction, arguing that PW‑5’s evidence should be cl…

The appellant was charged with raping and murdering a young woman, Lalitha. Witnesses saw him fleeing the house with blood‑stained clothes and heard him push them as they entered, and the victim gave a dying declaration that he had struck her with a grinder. The trial court acquitted him of both charges, but the High C…

The Supreme Court heard a batch of writ petitions and intervention applications filed under Article 32 seeking a fair investigation into the gang‑rape and murder of a 19‑year‑old girl in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, and alleging illegal cremation of the victim. The State Government had already ordered the Central Bureau of …

The case involved a fake currency racket in Rajasthan where accused Mehboob Ali and Firoz, while in police custody, gave statements that led to the identification and arrest of co‑accused Anju Ali, Majhar, Liyakat Ali and others, and to the recovery of forged notes. The issue before the Supreme Court was whether such s…

The dependants of Rishi Parkash filed a claim petition under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 against the driver, owner and insurer of a Maruti car and the driver of a tempo, seeking compensation for his death in a collision. The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal held both drivers negligent and awarded Rs.5,81,000 with inter…

The appellant, a mason, entered the house of the prosecutrix on 4 October 2002 armed with an aruval, intending to satisfy his lust. He tied up the brother (Manikandan) and a relative (Sangeetha), raped the prosecutrix, murdered Manikandan when he attempted to call for help, subsequently slit Sangeetha's throat, and sto…

The case involved an alleged unlawful assembly that rioted and assaulted victims, resulting in two deaths and three grievous injuries. The trial court convicted ten accused under sections 148, 149, 323, 324, 365 and 342 IPC, but the High Court acquitted two and upheld convictions of eight; five appealed before the Supr…

The case concerned the death of Kiran Kaur, who suffered severe burns and later died, with the prosecution alleging that her husband Phulel Singh set her ablaze over dowry demands. The trial court convicted Singh under Section 304‑B IPC based primarily on the victim's dying declaration recorded by an Executive Magistra…

The appellant, Ravindranatha Bajpe, filed a private complaint alleging that two companies and their senior officers conspired to lay a water pipeline beneath his property, demolish a stone wall and cut down about 100 trees, causing loss of over Rs.27 lakh. The Judicial Magistrate issued summons against all thirteen acc…

The appellant, Mahadev Meena, filed a complaint after his son, an IB officer, was found dead under suspicious circumstances. The FIR alleged that the first respondent, Praveen Rathore, an anti‑corruption bureau constable, had a close relationship with the deceased's wife and was involved in a conspiracy to murder, with…

The case arose from a violent incident that followed a failed Panchayat meeting intended to settle a family dispute. The victim, Saroja, was attacked by several accused who were armed with sickles, an iron pipe and wooden staffs; she died from a severe head wound. The High Court convicted A-1 and A-2 under Section 302 …

The petitioner challenged the constitutional validity of Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which criminalized adultery, and Section 198 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which restricted the right to prosecute for adultery to the husband. A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held that …

The appellant was charged with murder and related offences and first sought anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the CrPC, which was rejected. The High Court later ordered him to surrender and apply for regular bail, but the Sessions Judge, misreading that order, granted bail under Section 439 without applying the st…

The State of Rajasthan appealed against the High Court's commutation of a death sentence to life imprisonment for Jamil Khan, who was convicted of raping and murdering a girl under five years old and also convicted under IPC sections 376 and 201. The Supreme Court held that the High Court had not examined the aggravati…

New Horizon Sugar Mills Ltd and its directors, who had guaranteed a bank loan, defaulted and faced attachment of their properties under the Pondicherry Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments Act, 2004. They challenged the validity of that Act and a government order attaching properties, arguin…

The case involved the murder of Nagoba, for which six of eleven accused were convicted under Section 302 read with Section 149 of the IPC. The appellants (A‑1 and A‑2) challenged their convictions on the grounds that the key prosecution witnesses were relatives of the deceased, that there was a delay in lodging the FIR…

The appellant Ajay Kumar Parmar was accused of raping the complainant, who later approached the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) to record a statement under Section 164 CrPC claiming the FIR was false. The CJM directed a Judicial Magistrate to record the statement, but the complainant was not produced before the magistr…

Thermax Ltd. entered into purchase orders with K.M. Johny’s firms for storage tanks and consumables. The contracts fell apart and Johny alleged non‑payment of large sums, filing three earlier complaints that were closed as civil matters. In 2002 he lodged another complaint before a magistrate alleging offences under Se…

Paramjeet Singh (Pamma) was convicted for murdering his brother and two nephews and injuring three other family members in a property dispute. The trial court and the Uttarakhand High Court upheld the conviction based on the FIR, statements under Section 161 CrPC, medical reports, forensic evidence and the testimony of…

Ganpat, the complainant, appealed against the High Court's order acquitting eleven accused persons charged under IPC sections 148, 149, 302, 323, 324, 325. The trial court had convicted the accused, but the High Court set them free, holding that the complainant was the aggressor and that the prosecution failed to prove…

The appellant, Khuman Singh, entered the deceased Veer Singh's field with his buffaloes, leading to a dispute over grazing rights. In a sudden quarrel, Singh struck Veer Singh on the head with an axe, causing six injuries that resulted in death. The trial court convicted Singh under Section 302 IPC and Section 3(2)(v) …

A doctor was shot dead in his clinic and the accused, Deny Bora, was charged under Sections 302, 34 and 314 of the IPC and under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). The Designated Court acquitted him of the TADA offences but convicted him for murder based solely on the testimony of PW‑14, w…

On 2 March 2012 a former Karnataka minister was to be produced before the City Civil Court Complex, Bangalore, triggering a large crowd, a scuffle between advocates, police and media persons, and subsequent violence that injured many and led to over 191 FIRs. The Advocates Association filed writ petitions seeking a CBI…

Shimbhu and another were convicted of gang rape and related offences under Sections 376(2)(g), 366, 342, 363, 506 and 34 of the IPC and sentenced to ten years' rigorous imprisonment. They appealed, seeking reduction of the sentence on the basis of a compromise with the victim, the passage of time since the offence, and…

The appellant, Chenoa (also known as Chanda Ram), was convicted under Section 302 IPC for the death of Ramgulal during a village quarrel and sentenced to life imprisonment. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the killing qualified as culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Exception 4 to Section 300 I…

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

Jyoti Mishra, the estranged wife of Dhananjaya Mishra, filed an FIR under Section 498-A of the IPC against her husband and five others in Hyderabad. The case was pending before the 5th Metropolitan Magistrate, Cyberabad. After moving to Indore, she filed transfer petitions (Criminal Nos. 94‑95 of 2010) seeking to shift…

The deceased Kochukuttan and his companion attacked the appellants, prompting the appellants and nine others to retaliate with swords and other deadly weapons, causing fatal injuries to Kochukuttan. Eye‑witnesses PW‑1 (the brother‑in‑law of the deceased) and PW‑2 positively identified the appellants and described the i…

The appellant, Shaikh Sattar, was convicted under Sections 302 and 498A IPC for murdering his wife, who was found dead with head injuries and a heavy stone nearby. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence, including the husband's demand for money, prior abuse, the location of the body and stone, and medical te…

The State of Andhra Pradesh appealed the High Court's acquittal of M. Narasimha Rao, who was charged with murder under Section 302 IPC. The prosecution relied on the eyewitness testimony of the victim's son (PW‑1) and wife (PW‑2), corroborated by a detailed post‑mortem report showing multiple fatal injuries. The High C…

Lance Naik Gursewak Singh and Lance Naik Kala Singh, both serving in the Indian Army, consumed liquor and got into a heated argument over seniority. Singh seized Kala's rifle and fired a single bullet, killing him. A court‑martial convicted Singh under IPC s.302 read with Army Act s.69, sentencing him to life imprisonm…

The victim Ramesh, who had political enmity with three accused (Mohan, Prahlad and Jagdish), was shot and died in June 1991. The trial court acquitted all three, finding the prosecution evidence insufficient. The High Court reversed the acquittal of Mohan and Prahlad, relying on the sole testimony of an eye‑witness (PW…

The State of Madhya Pradesh prosecuted nine accused for the death of Rajesh, who was shot in the left thigh during a dispute over cattle and crop damage. The trial court convicted all under sections 302/149, 325/149, 147, 148 and 440 IPC, but the High Court acquitted eight of them, retaining only a conviction of accuse…

The Supreme Court examined a criminal appeal challenging the summoning of the husband’s relatives under Section 498A of the IPC in a dowry‑harassment case. It observed that a large number of 498A cases are filed in the heat of the moment, often without bona‑fide evidence, leading to uncalled‑for arrests and hardship to…

An FIR was lodged in April 1984 under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code alleging that the appellant, then Managing Director of a district agency, conspired with a Deputy Commissioner to award a contract to a private firm. The State Government denied sanction for prosecution on two occasions (19…

The appellant was convicted for murder (s.302 IPC) after a mob attacked the deceased in a court corridor, based primarily on the testimony of three eye‑witnesses (PW‑1, PW‑5, PW‑6) and a test identification parade. The Supreme Court examined the reliability of those witnesses, noting that PW‑1 failed to name the appell…

The appellant Vijay and five others were convicted of gang‑rape of a girl, Asha @ Gopi, on 6‑12‑1988 under IPC s.376/34 and sentenced to ten years’ rigorous imprisonment. The appellant appealed, contending that the victim was a major, that there was no consent, that the prosecution relied solely on her testimony withou…

The appellant, accused of murder and related offences, challenged his conviction on the ground that the victim's dead body was never recovered and no post‑mortem was conducted, arguing that proof of corpus delicti was lacking. The prosecution relied on two eye‑witnesses, PW‑6 (who was injured) and PW‑9 (the victim's br…

The case involved the disappearance and subsequent discovery of the decomposed bodies of a young couple, Kumari Brinda and Kanhaiya, who were found hanging from a tree. The prosecution alleged that Chandrapal, the appellant, conspired with others to murder the couple and later staged the deaths as suicides, relying on …

The petitioner was arrested after a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and DRI seized over 236 kg of heroin from a Pakistani vessel near Jakhau Port, Gujarat. The prosecution alleged that the petitioner, aboard an Indian fishing boat, responded to a VHF call intended for the drug handover, indicating his role as…

The appellant, a known acquaintance of the victim's family, entered the home of a blind Scheduled Caste woman and raped her, after which he was apprehended at the scene. The trial courts convicted him under Section 376(1) of the IPC and Section 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocit…

The Supreme Court entertained a suo motu contempt petition filed against Vijay Kurle, Rashid Khan Pathan and Nilesh Ojha for circulating letters containing scandalous and scurrilous allegations against two Supreme Court judges. The Court examined whether it could initiate contempt proceedings without the consent of the…

The State of Gujarat appealed the discharge of Mansukhbhai Kanjibhai Shah, a trustee of Sumandeep Charitable Trust which runs a deemed university, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The charge sheet alleged that Shah demanded Rs 20 lakhs to allow a student to appear for examinations, constituting a corrupt p…

The appellants were convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and IPC for the murder of a Hindu leader. The Supreme Court examined whether the required prior sanction under Section 20‑A of TADA had been validly obtained. It found that the sanctioning authority had granted approval …

The appellants were named in FIR No. 53 of 2000 for offences under the IPC and the SC/ST Act but were not arraigned as accused. After the trial commenced, the complainant applied under Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to summon the appellants as additional accused. The trial court, relying solely on the co…

Harijan Bhalateja, the husband of pregnant Jivibai, was accused of murdering her by strangulation on 20 February 1985 and then hastily burying the body without informing her relatives. The body was exhumed and a post‑mortem revealed a half‑round neck injury, fracture of the hyoid bone and a protruding tongue, all indic…

The appellant, a police officer, was summoned in a private complaint alleging assault, kidnapping and other offences while investigating a death. He moved the High Court under CrPC s.482 to quash the proceedings, contending that the magistrate could not take cognizance without prior sanction from the State Government u…

The case arose from the transfer of a corruption trial involving J. Jayalalithaa from Tamil Nadu to Karnataka. Karnataka appointed Bhavani Singh as Special Public Prosecutor for the trial, but Tamil Nadu later attempted to authorize him to appear before the Karnataka High Court for the appeal. The Supreme Court held th…

The Supreme Court examined whether an authorised signatory of a company could be prosecuted under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 and Section 67/85 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 without the company itself being named as an accused. The Court held that Section 141 of the Negotiable Instrume…

The appellant, R. Shashirekha, filed a complaint alleging that her husband had been cheated, blackmailed and forced to commit suicide by his business partners (respondents 2 and 3) and a manager (respondent 4). The FIR was registered under Sections 306, 420, 506 and 34 of the IPC, but the respondents obtained a quash o…

The appellant, Aslam alias Imran, was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly stabbing his brother's brother, Zahid Khan, with a butcher knife, leading to the victim's death. The prosecution's case rested on the testimonies of several eyewitnesses, notably the victim's brother (PW-1), who was an interested witnes…

The dispute involved two lawyers practicing before the same courts in Kodaikanal who filed cross‑FIRs against each other for the same incident on 18 December 2017, alleging assault, threats and injury. Both FIRs named the same offences under Sections 294(b), 323 and 506(1) of the IPC, and the matter had been pending fo…

The appellant, convicted and sentenced to death for the 1994 murder of five women and two children, claimed he was a juvenile at the time of the offence, asserting an age of 12 years based on school birth certificates and other documents. After earlier petitions were dismissed, the Supreme Court referred the matter to …

The Supreme Court, hearing a suo motu contempt petition (CrL.) No.1 of 2019, affirmed that advocate Mathews J. Nedumpara had committed contempt of court for statements made in the face of the Court. He tendered an affidavit of apology and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, suspended on condition of future goo…

The case involved the murder of Murugan and his sister Poomari following marital discord between Murugan and his wife Muthulakshmi. Four accused—Ponnu, Ganapathi, Chitravelu, and Muthulakshmi—were charged under IPC s.302 and s.302/34. The trial court convicted all four; the Madras High Court upheld the convictions of G…

The appellant filed a complaint under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 alleging corruption in a drinking‑water project and sought investigation and FIR registration against several public servants, including the first respondent who was incorrectly described as Principal Secretary, PHED. The Special Judge dismiss…

The petition sought directions to the Union and State governments to prevent honour crimes, including honour killings, by mandating a national and state plan of action, special cells, and prosecution of offenders. The Court held that any torture or interference with an adult's choice of marriage, even if sanctioned by …

The Supreme Court examined an appeal by the complainant, Ranbeer Singh, against the Allahabad High Court’s acquittal of three co‑accused (Balbir Singh, Karua and Vinod) who had been convicted for murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC. The trial court had found all four accused – including the main sh…

The Supreme Court considered a petition under Section 482 of the CrPC seeking quashment of an FIR registered under Sections 307, 324, 323 and 34 IPC after the accused and complainant settled their dispute through a village Panchayat. The High Court had refused to accept the compromise, relying solely on the seriousness…