Indian Penal Code, 1860

The appellant Bhagchandra was convicted of murdering his two brothers and a nephew during a property dispute, with the prosecution relying on the ocular testimony of several rustic village witnesses who identified him as the assailant wielding an axe. The trial court sentenced him to death under IPC sections 302, 201 a…

The CBI alleged that Uttamchand Bohra aided a senior income‑tax officer (A‑1) in acquiring a flat through a company, thereby helping the officer amass assets disproportionate to his known income. The prosecution’s case rested on Bohra’s custody of the sale deed and the fact that his employee witnessed its execution, al…

On 10 February 1994, a group of accused assembled unlawfully in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, and attacked the family of the deceased Rajendran, killing eight persons including a one‑year‑old child. The trial court convicted the accused under various provisions of the IPC and sentenced them to life imprisonment for each …

The Supreme Court considered an appeal by HDFC Securities Ltd. and its officers challenging the registration of an FIR and a magistrate’s order under Section 156(3) of the CrPC directing police investigation into alleged unauthorized trades. The appellants argued that the order caused irreparable injury and should be q…

Sat Parkash was convicted under IPC sections 363, 366, 366-A and 376 for allegedly kidnapping, forcing marriage, procuration and raping a 15‑year‑old girl, Sushila, who later died by suicide. The appellant challenged the conviction on the basis of Sushila's suicide note, which stated she left home of her own free will …

The appellant Selvaraj was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly strangling his infant daughter, based on testimony of the mother, mother‑in‑law and a sister, who later turned hostile, and on a medical report that did not conclusively indicate homicide. The Supreme Court examined the credibility of the hostile …

The appellants K.K. Singhal & Ors. issued 33 cheques that were dishonoured, leading the respondent Steel Strips Ltd. to file 26 complaints under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The parties later entered into a settlement at Chandigarh, where the respondent agreed to withdraw the complaints in exchange fo…

The appellants were convicted under IPC sections 302 and 34 for the murder of Ranjit Singh, allegedly attacked with lathis and tabbal by the accused amid a land dispute. The prosecution relied on eye‑witnesses PW3 Atmaram and PW4 Chaman Lal, whose testimonies were corroborated and supported by a post‑mortem report esta…

The appellant, accused No.1, was convicted along with five others for offences under Sections 147, 149 and 302 of the IPC for the murder of Kalua. The High Court upheld the conviction of the appellant and two others, but acquitted accused Nos.5 and 6 on the ground that no lathi injuries were found on the deceased and t…

The appellant, the Secretary to the Government (Law & Order‑F), appealed against a Madras High Court order that quashed a preventive detention order issued under Section 3(1)(a) of the National Security Act, 1980 against a man arrested in September 2012 for alleged breach of the Official Secrets Act. The High Court had…

Mary Pappa Jebamani filed a criminal complaint alleging assault and verbal abuse under IPC sections 294(b) and 323. The summary trial court acquitted the accused because two key eyewitnesses turned hostile and the trial court found the evidence insufficient. The Sessions Court set aside the acquittal and convicted the …

The appellants Panney @ Pratap Narain Shukla and Channey @ Prabhu Narain Shukla were convicted for the murder of Shivdhari, who was killed by a bomb, a pistol shot and a neck cut during a land‑dispute. The trial court sentenced them to death, a decision affirmed by the High Court and upheld on appeal. In the Supreme Co…

The State of Himachal Pradesh appealed against the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s order quashing charges against M.P. Gupta, a former Chief Conservator of Forests, on the ground that the prosecution lacked the sanction required under Section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The accused had been charged with offences …

The appellant, Deputy Director of the Inter State Bus Terminal, appealed against the conviction of Smt. Sudershan Kumari for filing false certificates and affidavits. The Supreme Court examined whether the respondent had indeed produced a false affidavit attested by an oath commissioner and whether the notary could be …

Dr. Baljit Singh, a H.C.M.S.-II officer, gave a three‑month notice of voluntary retirement under Rule 5.32(b) of the Punjab Civil Service Rules on 20 September 1993 and handed over his charge on 11 February 1994 without the government's acceptance. The Government declined to accept his retirement because serious crimin…

The petitioner filed a writ under Article 32 seeking the release of his brother, Narinder Singh, who had been detained under sub‑section (1) of Section 3 of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974. The only basis for the detention was a case registered for offences under IP…

The case concerned the conviction of two accused, Sajeev (A10) and Roy (A11), for their role in a conspiracy to mix methyl alcohol with spirit and sell it as illicit liquor, which caused seven deaths, eleven cases of blindness and injuries to over forty persons. The trial court and Kerala High Court convicted them unde…

The case arose from a 2003 incident in Muzzafarnagar where six persons were killed by indiscriminate firing by the appellants Madan, Sudesh Pal and others, allegedly motivated by political rivalry. The trial court convicted the accused under Section 302 read with Section 149 of the IPC and sentenced Madan and Sudesh Pa…

The appellant, Ravi Namboothiri, was elected councilor of Ward No.5 of Annamanada Gram Panchayat in 2015. After his election, the respondent filed an election petition alleging that the appellant had failed to disclose a past conviction under the Kerala Police Act (Section 38 read with Section 52) in Form 2A, thereby f…

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) dismissed two drivers, M. Mani and the late T.A. Mathivanan, after a departmental enquiry found them guilty of theft of a heavy machine while on duty. The employees were later acquitted of the theft charge in a criminal trial under IPC s.379. They challenged their dismissals in a La…

The case concerned Mahavir Singh, who was convicted by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh for murder under Section 302 IPC, overturning an acquittal by the trial court. The prosecution's case relied on the statements of several eyewitnesses, the seizure of a gun and cartridges from the accused, and alleged enmity between…

The appellants, the husband and his parents‑in‑law, were charged under Section 498A IPC for alleged dowry harassment and a specific incident of abandonment. They sought discharge under Section 239 of the CrPC, claiming the allegations were false. The Supreme Court examined the scope of Section 239 and the standard for …

The appellant, Ram Chandra Bhaghat, was convicted under Section 493 of the Indian Penal Code for deceiving the complainant into believing she was his lawful wife, cohabiting with him for nine years and bearing two children. The prosecution proved that the appellant obtained a signed marriage registration form, induced …

Two minor children residing in a Gurukul (ashram) went missing and were later found dead in the Sabarmati river. An FIR was lodged against seven ash​ram inmates under Section 304 IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act and other offences. The High Court quashed the FIR in…

Monica Bedi and four co‑accused were convicted under the Indian Penal Code (sections 120‑B, 419, 420) and the Prevention of Corruption Act for a conspiracy to obtain a passport in an assumed name. Bedi argued that her conviction violated Article 20(2) of the Constitution because she had already been tried and sentenced…

The appellant Om Pal Singh was convicted for the murder of Rishipal Singh under Section 302 IPC. The prosecution established a long-standing enmity, prior attempts on the victim's life, and presented eyewitness testimony of PW‑2 and PW‑3 who described the shooting. A dying declaration recorded by the Tehsildar, though …

The State of Kerala appealed the Kerala High Court’s acquittal of Kurissum Moottil Antony, who had been convicted under Sections 377 and 451 IPC for committing an unnatural offence on a ten‑year‑old girl. The High Court set aside the conviction on the ground that the victim’s testimony was not corroborated and that a r…

The case concerned the murder of Harbhajan Kaur, who died from burn injuries allegedly inflicted by members of her in‑law family. The prosecution’s case rested on two dying declarations made by the deceased, which contained inconsistencies regarding the roles of various accused. The Supreme Court examined the reliabili…

The Supreme Court examined the murder of Kuljit Singh, where the accused Gurpreet Singh and Mohinder Pal Singh, along with others, were convicted under Section 302 IPC. The prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused shared a common intention to kill, supported by eyewitness testimony and medical eviden…

The appellant, a Sub Engineer of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board, was caught in a police‑set trap accepting cash from a private contractor after demanding a sum for sanctioning additional power load. He claimed the money was a gift, not gratification. The trial court convicted him under Section 5(2) of the Prev…

Balwinder Singh was convicted by a Special Court under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC for the murder of his daughter Rozy, based solely on circumstantial evidence comprising alleged "last seen together" testimony, an extra‑judicial confession, recovery of a dead body, and a disclosure statement leading to the recovery…

The deceased met an unnatural death in her matrimonial home, leading to an FIR that named her husband, mother‑in‑law and two relatives (the brother‑in‑law and sister‑in‑law) as alleged perpetrators. The police charge‑sheeted only the husband and mother‑in‑law under IPC sections 304B and 306, and the case was committed …

Suba Singh was convicted under Section 302 IPC for the murder of Pritam Singh following a dispute that arose after a betrothal ceremony. The prosecution's case rested on the ocular testimony of two eyewitnesses, Jagtar Singh and Lahora Singh, who identified the appellant as the shooter, and was corroborated by the FIR,…

Jethsur Surangbhai, Chairman of the Jasdan Taluka Sahkari Kharid Vechan Sangh Ltd, was charged under IPC sections 120B, 109, 408, 467 and 471 for alleged conspiracy to commit criminal breach of trust and related misappropriations. The charge of conspiracy failed and the Sessions Court acquitted all accused except one. …

The appellant, a liaison for a private university, was issued a cheque of Rs.5 crore by the respondent, who was the Chairman and authorized signatory of Orion Education Trust, but the cheque was dishonoured. The appellant filed a criminal complaint under Sections 138 and 142 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 and …

The appellant, accused No.2, was convicted by the High Court of murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC and of causing disappearance of evidence under Section 201 IPC. The conviction under Section 302/34 was based on the appellate court’s alteration of the original charge (Section 302 with Sections 148…

The appellants were convicted under Section 302 read with Section 149 of the IPC for the murder of Ajay based primarily on the testimony of PW‑9, a cousin of the deceased, and a CCTV video. The Supreme Court examined the reliability of the eyewitness, finding his statements riddled with inconsistencies, no prior identi…

Sanjit Saha and Anil Saha, convicted under IPC 376(2)(g) and sentenced to ten years' rigorous imprisonment, filed a Special Leave Petition (Criminal) together with an application for exemption from surrender. The Chamber Judge rejected the exemption, gave them six weeks to surrender and later two weeks to file surrende…

The appellants were convicted under Sections 148, 302 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of Madhavji. The prosecution relied on three eyewitnesses—two of whom were close relatives of the deceased and one unrelated witness—whose testimonies were consistent and corroborated by medical evidence. The defence a…

The appellant, a DESU employee, was alleged to have demanded a bribe of Rs.4,000 from a complainant and to have directed the complainant to give the money to a co‑accused, who accepted it. The trial court acquitted both accused of conspiracy under Section 120‑B IPC but convicted the appellant under Sections 7 and 13(2)…

The dispute involved a settlement recorded on a bond paper of Rs.100 filed with the Assistant Commissioner, Yadgiri. The accused, Rajesh Kumar C.K. Jain, was alleged to have taken the bond paper from the court file on 16 July 2010, leading to an FIR and his conviction under Section 379 IPC by the trial court. On appeal…

The State of NCT of Delhi appealed against the discharge of Brijesh Singh @ Arun Kumar and others by a Special Court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The key dispute was whether charge‑sheets filed in courts outside Delhi could be counted towards the "continuing unlawful activity" requireme…

The case arose from a 1991 incident in which a group of accused set fire to the house of Channabasappa, resulting in the death of ten persons. The trial court acquitted the accused, but the Karnataka High Court reversed the acquittal, convicting them under various IPC provisions including murder, arson and criminal con…

Mofil Khan and two co‑accused brutally murdered eight members of their own family, including women, children and a physically disabled boy, to obtain property. The trial court sentenced them to death, a decision affirmed by the Jharkhand High Court. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the "rarest of rare" doc…

The appellants were convicted of murder for stabbing the husband of the complainant after the husband warned them to stop abusive behavior. The trial and high courts upheld the conviction under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC based on the testimony of two eye‑witnesses. On appeal, the accused argued that th…

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

The appellants, including Bishan Singh and Govind Ballabh, attacked complainant Harish Bhatt on 30 September 1984, assaulting him with lathis, causing seven injuries (one grievous fracture of the wrist) and extorting Rs 400. The trial court convicted them under Sections 147 and 308/149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) an…

The appellant, Manilal Hiraman Chaudhari, was convicted along with co‑accused for the murder of Bhaulal Jadhav, who had earlier been involved in the killing of the appellant's father. The prosecution relied on eye‑witness testimony of PW‑4, PW‑5 and PW‑6, as well as the testimony of PW‑2 establishing a motive of reveng…

Gurdev Raj was accused of striking his mother‑in‑law with an iron rod, causing her death. The victim's daughter‑in‑law (the accused's wife) and sister‑in‑law testified that a quarrel erupted and the accused inflicted the fatal blows. The FIR was lodged the next morning, and the trial court convicted the accused under S…

The Sanatan Dharma Pratinidhi Sabha cancelled a General Power of Attorney and sold a portion of its land after the contractor, Himmat Rai Ahuja, allegedly failed to pay the balance price. The contractor filed a criminal complaint alleging cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy under Sections 420, 467 and 120B IPC, l…

A. Parthiban, a public servant, was convicted for demanding and receiving illegal gratification, an act that attracted charges under Sections 7 and 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The trial court sentenced him to six months' rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs.500 and one year’s …

Kailash was convicted under Sections 304B (dowry death) and 498A (dowry harassment) of the IPC for the death of his wife, whose body was found in a well, indicating death "otherwise than under normal circumstances." The trial court sentenced him to ten years for the 304B offence, with no separate sentence for 498A, and…

An FIR under Section 302 IPC was lodged in 1979, but the case was not listed before the magistrate for over ten years due to administrative lapses. The accused filed a writ petition seeking quashal of the prosecution, relying on the A.R. Antulay v. R.S. Nayak decision that prolonged delay could warrant dismissal. The P…

Eighteen persons were charged under Sections 302 and 302 read with 149 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of Parshuram Bind and his father. The prosecution relied mainly on two eyewitnesses, PW5 and PW6, who identified all the accused except for Accused No.12 (not identified by PW5) and Accused Nos.9 and 10 (not i…

Major J.S. Brar was charged under Section 69 of the Army Act, 1950 read with Section 379 IPC for theft of army property. After an initial General Court Martial (GCM) found him guilty of one charge and acquitted him of another, the Confirming Authority ordered a revision under Section 160 and Rule 68 of the Army Rules, …

Pashora Singh and his brother Lahora Singh were tried for offences under Sections 307, 447, 326, 324 and 323 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for inflicting injuries on Amar Singh and Pal Singh in 1981. The trial court convicted them of the latter four offences and, as they were not previous convicts, gran…

The appellant, Geeta, was convicted under Section 306 of the IPC for allegedly abetting the suicide of her neighbour, Sarika, who set herself on fire after a series of verbal and physical altercations. The trial court held that Geeta's abusive language and the involvement of her family created a hostile environment tha…

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued multiple summons under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) requiring the appellants, Abhishek Banerjee and Rujira Banerjee, to appear in Delhi and produce documents related to a coal theft and money‑laundering investigation. The appellants challenged the s…

The complainant appealed to the Supreme Court after the Karnataka High Court granted bail to accused Subrahmanya and Rajesh in a case involving conspiracy to murder, murder, and illegal possession of arms (IPC ss.120B, 302, 201, 34; Arms Act s.27(3)). The appellant argued that the High Court failed to consider the seri…

Stalin, the accused, was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC for stabbing the deceased with a knife during a quarrel at a beer party. He appealed, arguing that the single blow and lack of pre‑meditation should reduce the offence to culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 Part II, invoking Exce…

The appellant Pankaj was convicted under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC and Section 3 read with Section 25 of the Arms Act for allegedly shooting his brother-in-law Raj Kumar, who later died. The prosecution's case rested on the sole eye‑witness testimony of the victim's brother (PW‑8) and corroboration by…

The State of Rajasthan prosecuted Chandgi Ram and others for the murder of Surender, alleging that the accused beat him to death with iron rods, pipes and lathis, constituting offences under IPC s.302 read with s.34 and s.452. The trial court convicted the accused based on the testimony of the deceased's wife, two mino…

The appellant, Pinakin Mahipatray Rawal, was convicted under Sections 498A and 306 IPC for allegedly causing his wife's suicide through an extra‑marital relationship with his colleague (A‑2). The Supreme Court examined whether the alleged relationship amounted to cruelty within the meaning of Section 498A and whether i…

The appellant, a practising advocate, was charged under IPC s.324. After failing to appear on 7 August 2002, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate issued a non‑bailable warrant (NBW) returnable on 31 October 2002. The appellant appeared on 12 August and the warrant was cancelled, but on 15 August the police insp…

The appellant, G. Reddeiah, brother‑in‑law of R. Sreenivasulu, challenged a preventive detention order issued under the Andhra Pradesh Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1986, which was passed on 12 November 2010 after the detenue had been released on bail. The detenue was alleged to have repeatedly felled, cut an…

During a Bihar assembly election, an FIR was lodged for murder, robbery and illegal possession of arms, implicating Uma Shankar Singh. The investigation was transferred to the CID and both the CID and local police submitted final reports under Section 173(2) CrPC that exonerated Singh. Despite these reports, the Chief …

In 1978, appellant Ram Naresh shot at Ram Vilas, injuring him; the FIR was lodged the next morning at a police station 9 km away. The trial court and the Allahabad High Court convicted the appellant under Section 307 IPC and sentenced him to five years' rigorous imprisonment. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined wheth…

On 30 November 1993, three accused—Thakorbhai, Jagdishbhai and Balwantbhai Patel—attacked a group of men in Bharuch, resulting in the death of Sagir Ahmed. Balwantbhai Patel was alleged to have caught hold of Gyasuddin Ansari, enabling Jagdishbhai to inflict a simple injury. All three were convicted under Section 302 I…

The State of Uttar Pradesh appealed the Allahabad High Court's acquittal of Awdhesh, who had been convicted for dacoity under Section 396 IPC. The trial court had sentenced him to life imprisonment, but the High Court set aside the conviction, citing inconsistencies in the prosecution's evidence and the lack of a direc…

The appellants Hemraj, Gian Chand and Baldev Raj were acquitted by the trial court of murder (Sec. 302 IPC) read with Sec. 34 IPC, but the Punjab and Haryana High Court reversed the acquittal and convicted them. They appealed to the Supreme Court under Sec. 379 CrPC and Sec. 2(a) of the Supreme Court (Enlargement of Cr…

The appellant was convicted of murdering two sisters and committing house trespass under Sections 302 and 449 IPC based largely on circumstantial evidence, including alleged motive, sightings, and recovered items. He appealed, contending that the prosecution had not proved a continuous chain of circumstances, had suppr…

The case concerned the murder of Mangalanand Pandey in Bihar, for which eight persons were charged. Dinesh Pandey, who fired the fatal shots, was convicted under Sections 302, 341 IPC and the Arms Act. The remaining accused were convicted under Section 302 read with Sections 149 and 341 IPC. On appeal, the Supreme Cour…

The case arose from a land dispute in which thirteen accused, some armed with guns, gandasa, knives and lathis, attacked members of the complainant's party, resulting in two deaths and several injuries. The trial court convicted all accused under sections 302 and 149 IPC, sentencing them to life imprisonment, while the…

The appellant, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, was arrested in 2023 in connection with CBI and ED investigations into alleged irregularities in Delhi’s excise policy. He remained in custody for about 17 months without trial, and his multiple bail applications were rejected by the trial court and the Delhi …

The appellant R. Jayapal was convicted of murder (s.302 IPC) for stabbing the deceased Poondhaisezhiyan, who later died from a chest wound. He claimed he acted in private defence to protect his wife from the deceased, who allegedly intruded into their house with a group and attempted to assault her. The trial court rej…

The appellant was married to Kavitha, who committed suicide within four months of their marriage, allegedly due to dowry harassment and the husband's illicit relationship with another woman. The prosecution presented documentary evidence of a Panchayat agreement in which the husband admitted cohabiting with the other w…

The case concerned HCL Infosystem Ltd., a co‑accused in the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam, where the sole public servant co‑accused had died before any charge was framed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PC Act). The issue was whether the Special Judge appointed under s.3(1) of the PC Act could …

Phool Kumari was convicted under IPC sections 323, 342, 307 and 34 and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment, later reduced to five years. While incarcerated in Tihar Central Jail she was assigned work as a Sewadar in the Medical Inspection room. She claimed wages for the work done, but the prison superintendent and a vis…

Mahendra Singh, a police constable, shot and killed Janardhan Pathak, a forest gate‑keeper, claiming the incident occurred during a scuffle in which he was attacked. The trial court convicted him of murder under IPC s.302 and sentenced him under the Arms Act; the High Court affirmed. On appeal, the Supreme Court examin…

The appellant, Pyla Mutyalamma, filed a Section 125 Cr.P.C. application for maintenance against her husband, alleging a valid marriage in 1974 and desertion after 25 years. The trial magistrate found her to be the lawful wife with two surviving children and awarded Rs.500 per month. The husband appealed, claiming a pri…

The appellant, Lakhan, was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly burning his wife, Savita. Two dying declarations were recorded: the first by an Executive Magistrate stating the death was accidental, and the second by a police ASI accusing the appellant of pouring kerosene and setting her alight. The trial and …

The appellant Virendra Singh, along with his father Hakim Singh and brother Kamlesh, went armed to the house of Bhagirath to force him to reap their crop. When Bhagirath refused, the father and Virendra beat his son Baburam, and on the father's exhortation Kamlesh shot Bhagirath, causing his death. The trial court and …

The appellants Atbir and Ashok were convicted for the murder of three members of their step‑mother's family, based solely on the dying declaration of the surviving victim, Sonu (Savita), recorded by a police officer in the presence of a doctor. The Supreme Court held that the declaration was reliable, made in a fit sta…

Hari Ram was convicted of murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for the killing of his brother-in-law, Kundan Lal, over a land dispute. The prosecution relied on the testimony of two eyewitnesses, who were relatives of the deceased, to establish that Hari Ram brandished a pistol and, to…

The appellant, accused of fratricide, shot his brother from about 35 feet after a verbal quarrel over the brother's dogs. The trial court convicted him under Section 302 IPC (murder) and sentenced him to life imprisonment, a decision upheld by the High Court. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the incident f…

The appellant, Sridhar Bhuyan, was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC for stabbing the deceased during a quarrel over an eve‑teasing incident. The trial and High Courts upheld the conviction, but the appellant contended that the killing occurred in a sudden fight and fell under Exception 4 to Section 300 IPC, wh…

The respondent, Polamala Raju, was convicted by a Sessions Court for raping a five‑year‑old girl under Section 376 IPC and sentenced to ten years' rigorous imprisonment. The Andhra Pradesh High Court upheld the conviction but reduced the term to five years, citing the passage of time and possible settlement between the…

The case arose from prosecutions of former Tamil Nadu ministers under Section 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for possessing assets disproportionate to their known lawful income. Their relatives were also charged as co‑accused under Section 109 of the IPC, alleging they had abetted the ministers. The…

The appellant Indian Bank forwarded Bills of Exchange to a French bank on behalf of the respondent M/s. Satyam Fibres, which later went into liquidation. The respondent claimed the bank was negligent for not securing co‑acceptance of the bills, relying on a covering letter (letter No. 2776) that allegedly instructed th…

Three police constables were dismissed after a departmental inquiry and criminal prosecution for allegedly extorting money, but were later acquitted by a Sessions Court. They sought reinstatement and back wages before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which annulled their dismissals on the ground that the puni…

The State of Punjab prosecuted Surja Ram and his son Mohan Lal for the murders of Tulsa Ram and his son Brij Lal, arising from a family partition dispute over crop shares. The trial court convicted the two accused of the murder of Tulsa Ram under s.302 read with s.34 IPC, relying on the eye‑witness testimony of Kamla D…

The Supreme Court examined challenges to the Lok Sabha election of C.K. Jaffer Sharief from Bangalore North, alleging that the candidate engaged in corrupt practices by arranging large‑scale free mass feedings of electors, exceeding election‑expenditure limits, and using spurious ballot papers. The Court held that mass…

The appellant, Laxmi Devi, alleged that her husband, Satya Narayan, had contracted a second marriage, constituting an offence under Section 494 of the Indian Penal Code. The trial court held that the prosecution failed to prove the essential Hindu marriage rite of Saptapadi, which is required to establish a valid marri…

The petition under Article 32 sought relief for Gyasi Ram, a death‑row inmate whose mercy petitions had remained pending for about eight years due to administrative delays, including the pending petition of his accomplice Daya Ram. The Supreme Court examined whether such inordinate delay in executing a death sentence v…

Nirmal Singh, a Branch Manager of a cooperative bank, was dismissed after an inquiry into a fraudulent draft encashment. He challenged his dismissal, and the Government of Punjab referred his grievance to the Conciliation Officer, who recommended that the dispute be referred to a Labour Court. The Punjab Labour Commiss…

The appellants were convicted for kidnapping a minor for ransom, robbery and criminal conspiracy under IPC sections 364A, 392 and 120B. The prosecution's case relied on the statements of the victim and his father, but the victim's family never reported the incident to police and the key witness, the grandfather, was ne…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal against the conviction of two police officers for the death of Jeeva, who allegedly died from custodial torture at Amraiwadi police station. The trial and High Court had upheld the conviction, later reducing the charge from murder (Sec. 302 IPC) to culpable homicide not amounting to…

The appellant, Ratnu Yadav, was convicted by the Sessions Court and upheld by the High Court for murder of his step‑mother under Section 302 IPC, based primarily on an alleged extra‑judicial confession before a village officer (PW‑1) and the testimony of the deceased’s brother (PW‑5) that the appellant dragged the vict…

The appellant was convicted of murder and dowry death under Sections 302 and 498A IPC. During trial, the prosecution sought to record the testimony of the appellant's two minor children, aged eight and six, but the trial judge excluded their evidence, deeming them incompetent because they did not know the judge or lawy…

The appellant, Vishnu Kumar Tiwari, challenged the High Court's order that set aside the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s acceptance of a police final report (s.173 CrPC) exonerating the accused of dowry‑related offences. The complainant had filed a protest petition against the final report, which the High Court held was no…

The petitioners, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Kumar Gupta, filed review petitions challenging the Supreme Court's order dismissing their criminal appeals in the Nirbhaya gang‑rape case. They raised numerous grounds, including the abolition of the death penalty, alleged errors in the assessment of eye‑witness testimony, the i…

In 1980 a hooch tragedy in Kalanwali, Haryana, caused 36 deaths and 44 permanent blindings after victims consumed liquor adulterated with methyl alcohol. Krishan and Som Nath, licensees of the liquor vend, were convicted by the trial court under IPC sections 302, 328 and 120B. The High Court acquitted them, holding tha…

The appellant, a soldier, was involved in a drunken altercation at a farewell party where the deceased Dafadar Ram Pratap attempted to intervene and was later found stabbed to death. The appellant surrendered to police, gave a voluntary confession, and was tried before a General Court Martial, which convicted him of cu…

The State of Bihar filed a criminal appeal against an FIR lodged in 2002 against IAS officer Ashok Kumar Singh for alleged corruption while he was Managing Director of the Bihar State Financial Corporation. The FIR was issued by the Bihar Vigilance Investigation Bureau after the bifurcation of Bihar into Bihar and Jhar…

The appellant Manoj and his relatives were convicted for the dowry death of Meena Devi, who died from burns after being allegedly doused with kerosene and set alight at the behest of her husband, mother‑in‑law and sister‑in‑law. The prosecution relied heavily on a dying declaration recorded by Dr. Rajinder Rai, which w…

The appellants, P. Nagesh and another, were convicted by a Fast Track Court for murder and related offences under Sections 302, 364, 379, 201 read with 34 of the IPC, based on circumstantial evidence. The Karnataka High Court upheld the conviction, relying on a presumption under Section 106 of the Evidence Act that the…

The State of Maharashtra issued a notification under s.95 CrPC ordering the forfeiture of every copy of the book "Shivaji – Hindu King in Islamic India" on the basis of an FIR alleging offences under s.153, s.153A and s.34 IPC. The High Court quashed the notification, holding it failed to state the grounds of the Gover…

The case involved eight persons accused of murdering Upendra Singh and attempting to murder his brother over a disputed land. The prosecution proved that a group of more than five armed men formed an unlawful assembly with the common object of eliminating the victims, and that Rajeshwar Singh fired the fatal shots. The…

The appellant, an Afghan national, was seized at Raja Sansi Airport with 22 packets of heroin and later arrested after a 15‑hour delay. He initially confessed to customs officials but later retracted, and was convicted under Sections 22 and 23 of the NDPS Act, a judgment affirmed by the High Court. On appeal, the Supre…

The accused was convicted by the trial court for kidnapping (IPC ss.363, 366) and rape (IPC s.376) of a girl who was 14 years old at the time of the offence, based on school records showing her date of birth as 4‑6‑1976 and medical evidence confirming her age. The High Court set aside the conviction, holding that the g…

The appellants, Genoa Singh and others, were convicted for the murder of the complainant's father and uncle after a dispute over a field boundary. They claimed the violence was in exercise of the right of private defence. The Supreme Court examined the scope of Sections 96‑106 of the IPC, the burden of proof under Sect…

The State of Karnataka prosecuted Khatua for setting his brother‑in‑law on fire, resulting in death. The trial court convicted him under Section 302 IPC (murder) and sentenced him to life imprisonment. On appeal, the Karnataka High Court altered the conviction to Section 304 Part‑II IPC, reasoning that the accused acte…

The case involved the death of Janak Kumari, who suffered extensive burn injuries and allegedly made five dying declarations implicating her husband, mother‑in‑law and sister‑in‑law. The trial court acquitted the accused, holding that none of the statements were reliable. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined the admis…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal against the acquittal of twelve students charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act for the murder of Jasbir Singh and grievous hurt to Sumer Singh during a campus political clash. The Court held that a four‑hour delay in lodging the FIR, the recording of…

The appellant, a practising doctor, was accused of murdering his wife, Madhu Bala, who was found dead hanging in their residence with a dupatta around her neck and her legs tied to a cot. Post‑mortem and chemical examination revealed ante‑mortem injuries and the presence of a lethal dose of organophosphorus compound mi…

The appellants were convicted under IPC sections 366 and 368 and sentenced to three years' rigorous imprisonment with a fine. They appealed to the Allahabad High Court, which admitted the appeal, stayed the sentence, and granted bail, but later dismissed the appeal for non‑prosecution because the appellant and his coun…

Harish Kumar and Ram Sharan were convicted by the Madhya Pradesh High Court for murder (Sec. 302 IPC) and attempt to murder (Sec. 307 IPC) after a trial court had acquitted them. They pleaded private defence of person, claiming that earlier hostile incidents and injuries to their father and themselves created a genuine…

Bhaiya Bahadur Singh, a government school teacher, drove his tractor onto a disputed boundary and allegedly trampled a portion of the victim's wheat field. Angered, he fetched a licensed single‑barrel gun, returned, and fired two shots, injuring two persons and killing a third. He pleaded that the shooting was in self‑…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought to continue investigations into two FIRs alleging criminal breach of trust, forgery and cheating against Duncans Agro Industries Ltd. and its officers. The Calcutta High Court quashed the FIRs, holding that the allegations did not prima facie constitute an offence and th…

The appellants forcibly took a teenage girl to a remote house, intoxicated her, undressed her and sexually assaulted her, after which she escaped from a truck and sought help. The trial court convicted them of rape under IPC s.376(2)(g) relying on the victim's uncontroverted testimony and the presumption of lack of con…

Satish Nirankari and his lover Pooja, whose inter‑caste marriage was opposed by her family, went to a vacant house, performed a makeshift marriage, and each consumed copper sulphate. Pooja ingested a larger dose, later hanged herself; Nirankari survived, raised alarm, and sought medical help. He was convicted under IPC…

The appellant A. Shankar was charged under IPC sections 302, 307 and 324 for the murder of Murthy Prasad and the attempted murder of Shankara, the victim's brother. The trial court acquitted him, finding that the prosecution had not proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt, particularly due to contradictions in the eye‑wit…

The Sessions Court convicted two accused under Section 325 IPC, sentencing them to five years' rigorous imprisonment and fines. The Gujarat High Court reduced the term to four years and, invoking Section 357 of the CrPC, ordered each accused to deposit Rs 2.5 lakh as compensation to the victim, on the condition that pa…

Bhola Kumhar was convicted under IPC section 376 and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and sentenced to 12 years rigorous imprisonment with a fine. The Chhattisgarh High Court reduced his term to 7 years rigorous imprisonment but the appellant remained in custody for over 10 years due to alleged default on the f…

The appellant, OMANAKUTTAN, was convicted for voluntarily causing grievous hurt by pouring acid on his neighbour, Sunil Kumar, in 1997, resulting in extensive burns and permanent disfigurement. The trial court sentenced him to one year imprisonment and a fine, a conviction affirmed by the High Court. On appeal, the Sup…

On 16 May 1980, Raj Keshwar Singh was murdered by a group of five accused who were armed and fled the scene. The prosecution relied on the testimony of PW11 (the brother of the deceased and informant), PW13 (a relative of the deceased) and PW5 (an eyewitness who identified four of the accused but omitted one name). The…

Birla Corporation filed a criminal complaint alleging that respondents had stolen or misappropriated 54 confidential company documents and sought prosecution under IPC sections 379, 403, 411 read with 120B. The trial magistrate, relying on vague statements of the company representative and an employee, issued summons a…

The State, on receipt of complaints from depositors that Global Capital Trading Services had defaulted on returns and allegedly defrauded investors, issued a Government Order on 24‑12‑2012 attaching the immovable properties of the partners under Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Protection of Interests of Depositors (In Fina…

The Supreme Court examined petitions seeking to shift investigation of the multi‑state chit‑fund (Ponzi) scam, which defrauded lakhs of depositors of roughly Rs 10,000 crore, from the State Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The scam involved companies operating across West Bengal, Tripura, Assam and …

On 26 January 1996 a bomb exploded at the SMS Stadium in Jaipur, leading to the arrest of six accused, including Chandra Prakash, Abdul Mateen and others. The prosecution relied on the testimony of an approver (PW‑1) who implicated the accused, on material recovered from the accused’s premises (ammonium nitrate, dynami…

The husband, Swapnil, filed an application for restitution of conjugal rights, but his wife left the matrimonial home in April 2011 and later lodged two police complaints alleging dowry demands and threats to kill. A First Class Judicial Magistrate framed charges under IPC sections 498A and 506 Part II and under Sectio…

The Supreme Court examined the convictions of Ohan Raj and Badal for murder and robbery, which were based primarily on circumstantial evidence, the extra‑judicial confession of a co‑accused, and the recovery of a briefcase and wrist‑watch. The Court held that the co‑accused’s confessions were inconsistent—naming differ…

The complainant, Mosiruddin Munshi, paid Rs.5,00,001 to the accused for a plot of land but the seller failed to deliver title documents, prompting a criminal complaint under IPC sections 420 and 1208. The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate treated the complaint as an FIR and ordered investigation under CrPC secti…

The Central Bureau of Investigation filed a case against MP Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and 73 others, including Nimmagadda Prasad, under IPC sections 420, 409, 477‑A and the Prevention of Corruption Act for alleged land allocation, illegal gratification, hawala transactions and other economic offences. After the charge‑she…

The Supreme Court considered the bail application of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, accused in a massive economic offence case involving alleged corruption, land allotments, and money laundering under the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI had filed multiple charge sheets and reported that investigations into s…

The appellant, Kumar, was convicted for raping his sister‑in‑law and then murdering her and her 13‑month‑old daughter by setting them on fire. The prosecution’s case rested on an extra‑judicial confession made by the accused to a neighbour (PW‑2), corroborated by the neighbour’s testimony, statements of other witnesses…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an appeal seeking cancellation of bail granted to V. Vijay Sai Reddy (A‑2) in a case involving alleged conspiracy, fraud and corruption under the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Special Court had granted bail, and the High Court affirmed it, but the Supreme …

Bhagwan Dass was convicted for the murder of his daughter, who had left her husband and was living in an incestuous relationship with his cousin. The prosecution proved the case on circumstantial evidence, establishing motive, opportunity, the victim's post‑mortem findings of strangulation, the appellant’s failure to r…

Girish Singh was convicted under Section 304 Part I of the IPC for pushing the deceased, Sageer Ansari, causing his fall and death. The appellant argued that the charge should be under Section 304A, which deals with death caused by negligence, contending there was no intention or knowledge to cause death. The trial cou…

The respondent, a Sub‑Inspector of Police, was instructed to transport pay and a service revolver to Shillong in a departmental vehicle but instead travelled by bus, resulting in the loss of Rs.17,314 and the revolver with ammunition. A departmental inquiry proved his misconduct and the competent authority removed him …

The respondent was appointed as a probationary constable in the Railway Protection Force in 1993 and filled an attestation form stating he had no criminal cases. Verification later revealed pending FIRs under Sections 376 and 417 of the IPC, which the respondent had omitted. The Chief Security Officer terminated his se…

On 22 January 1997, eight accused persons assaulted Dnyandeo (who later died) and Bapu (who was injured) in the village of Pangulgavhan, using hard blunt objects and dragging them to a river. The FIR was lodged the next morning due to a delay caused by priority given to medical treatment. The accused were convicted und…

Santosh was convicted for murdering Janardhan Dalvi and attempting to murder PW1 (Sandhu) by stabbing with a sharp-edged weapon. The trial court sentenced him to life imprisonment under IPC sections 302 and 307, a decision affirmed by the High Court. On appeal, the accused challenged the credibility of the eyewitness P…

The appellants Murlidhar, Chhaju Ram and Babu Lal were convicted of abduction under Section 364 IPC and of murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC. The Supreme Court examined the evidence of eye‑witnesses, circumstantial facts and the applicability of Section 106 of the Evidence Act. It held that the testimon…

The State of Tamil Nadu alleged that former Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha conspired with ten others to import coal at inflated prices, causing a loss of about Rs 6.5 crore. The Special Judge discharged her, finding the record insufficient to frame a charge, and the Madras High Court affirmed that order. On appeal, the …

The Enforcement Directorate issued summons under Section 40 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 to M. Samba Siva Rao and others, who refused to comply with the directions. The Delhi High Court held that such refusal did not attract Section 56 of the Act and dismissed the complaints. On appeal, the Supreme Cour…

Arnit Das was arrested for a murder under IPC 302 and claimed to be a juvenile, asserting a birth date of 18‑09‑1982. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate ordered an enquiry under Section 32 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 1986, and, after a medical board report, concluded that Das was above 16 years of age on the dat…

The appellant, a District Munsif who had been temporarily promoted to Subordinate Judge, was removed from service by the Andhra Pradesh High Court after a departmental inquiry found him guilty of misconduct. He appealed to the Governor under Rule 21(2) of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Services (Classification, Control and A…

During a TADA investigation, the police attached seven ships under Section 7A of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, alleging the vessels were purchased with proceeds of terrorist activity. The owners challenged the attachment, arguing that the ships were bought before the Act came into force and …

The deceased Nathu Banjara was brought to Rampura police station as a murder suspect, beaten and tortured by Sub‑Inspector Shyamsunder Trivedi, Head Constable Rajaram and Constable Ganniuddin, and died in custody. The police attempted to conceal the death by preparing false death reports and panchnamas and seeking crem…

The appellant, a leprosy inspector, had an illicit relationship with Jayasambal, the wife of a doctor, which was terminated after their daughter discovered it. Aggrieved, the appellant watched a violent film and later attacked Jayasambal's house, killing her and her 12‑year‑old son and grievously injuring her daughter.…

The case involved a constitutional challenge to the death penalty for murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and the sentencing procedure under Section 354(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The Supreme Court, by a 4-1 majority, upheld the constitutionality of both provisions. The Court held that th…

The appellant Roma Ahuja filed an FIR (No. 121 of 2011) alleging offences of voluntarily causing hurt and assault under Sections 323 and 341 IPC, read with Section 34. The High Court of Delhi quashed the FIR on the ground that the charge‑sheet was filed after the one‑year limitation period prescribed under Section 468 …

The appellant, Shuvendu Saha, was involved in a tenancy dispute with the respondent‑2 complainant, which was settled in a civil suit that was subsequently dismissed. Despite the settlement, the complainant filed a criminal complaint leading to an FIR for offences under Sections 409, 417, 418, 419, 420 and 506(2) IPC an…

The accused husband and his sister were charged with murder and dowry death after the victim, Sharada, died from 98% burn injuries. The prosecution relied on two dying declarations in which the victim identified her husband and sister as the perpetrators. The trial court acquitted the accused, holding that the possibil…

The case concerned the murder of Babusingh in September 1992, for which fifteen persons were tried. The trial court convicted seven, including Gajrajsingh, Bhagwansingh and Peer Singh, based on a "Dehati Nalishi" and statements of witnesses PW‑1 and PW‑5. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the three appellan…

Rupali Devi left her matrimonial home after enduring cruelty by her husband and his relatives and sought refuge at her parental home. She filed a complaint under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code alleging cruelty. The central issue was whether the courts at the location of the parental home have jurisdiction to ent…

The appellant, Anurag Soni, had a romantic relationship with the prosecutrix and promised to marry her, while already being engaged to another woman. He lured the prosecutrix to his residence, engaged in sexual intercourse after she initially resisted, and later reneged on the marriage promise, marrying the other woman…

The father of a deceased man filed an FIR under Section 306 IPC alleging that his son’s wife and her family had harassed the son, leading to his suicide. The High Court quashed the FIR, holding that the alleged abetment was not made out. The appellant challenged this order before the Supreme Court, arguing that the qua…

The appellant and respondent were married in 1991. The respondent obtained an ex‑parte decree of divorce in January 1994, which was later set aside in February 1996, thereby restoring the marriage. The appellant filed a criminal complaint under IPC s.376, which was dismissed without trial, and subsequently filed anothe…

The appellants were charged with murder and related offences based primarily on a dying declaration (Ex.P‑22) recorded by a police constable who wrote the victim's words as dictated by a police inspector, with later overwriting and insertion of names in different ink. The trial court found the declaration unreliable, n…

The appellants Sunil Kundu and others were convicted of murder under IPC s.302 read with s.34 based mainly on three eye‑witnesses who were relatives of the deceased. The Supreme Court found serious inconsistencies between the eye‑witness accounts and the post‑mortem report, which showed no firearm injuries despite the …

The appellant was convicted under Section 324 IPC for an offence committed on 23 July 1986 and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. The Gujarat High Court upheld the conviction and rejected the appellant's application to compound the offence. After the conviction, the victims filed an affidavit expressing their willi…

The appellants Akhtar and others were charged under Sections 148, 149, 302, 307 and 324 of the IPC for a daylight assault on a disputed piece of land that resulted in two deaths and two injuries. The trial court acquitted them, but the High Court convicted the surviving five accused on the basis of testimony of two inj…

The appellant, Suchand Bouri, was convicted of murder for delivering a knife blow to the chest of Sarbeswar, a village watchman, during a dispute over land boundaries. The prosecution proved that the blow was inflicted with considerable force using a deadly weapon, targeting a vital organ, and caused a wound sufficient…

The appellant Posuram Deshmukh (Posu) and a co‑accused attacked Hiralal, who was blocking a watercourse, with a chatwar and a lathi during an altercation over water rights. Hiralal sustained fatal injuries and died en route to the hospital. The trial court convicted Posu under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC, a co…

The appellants, led by Narain Singh, were involved in a land dispute during which they attempted to sow jowar in a field belonging to the complainants. When the complainants and their husband tried to stop them, Narain Singh fired a gunshot that killed the husband, and his sons assaulted the complainants with sticks. T…

An FIR was lodged against the appellant for offences under Sections 307, 324 and later 302 IPC. The police filed a charge‑sheet only against another accused, while a witness (respondent No.1) testified that the appellant was present and participated in the incident. The appellant sought to be summoned under Section 319…

The petitioners were already accused in a police case relating to a shooting incident, but were later summoned under Section 319 of the CrPC in a separate complaint case concerning the same occurrence. They challenged the summons, arguing that Section 319 could not be invoked against a person already an accused in anot…

The appellant, Salim Akhtar (Mota), was convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Prevention Act (TADA) for allegedly possessing a pistol, cartridges, a bomb and RDX that were recovered after he led police to a polythene bag in an open area. The pistol was not sealed at the time of recovery and its make a…

The case arose from a violent incident on 10 May 1978 at a marriage venue in Simla, where a group of youths armed with hockey sticks, iron rods and other weapons attacked the gathering in retaliation for a prior altercation involving a parked jeep. The assault resulted in injuries to several persons and the death of Su…

The appellants Hardial Singh, Uttam Singh and Gurnam Singh were charged with murder, grievous hurt and rioting for firing on members of an informant party who were cultivating land belonging to Khazan Singh. The incident occurred when the accused, armed with guns and rifles, confronted the cultivators who were ploughin…

The complainant, married to Dr. Rishi Raj, filed an FIR in March 2022 alleging torture, dowry demands and an attempt to strangle her, implicating her husband, his parents (the appellants) and his sister‑in‑law. The parents‑in‑law and sister‑in‑law sought quashing of the criminal proceedings under Section 482 CrPC; the …

The State of Madhya Pradesh prosecuted four accused for the murder of Munshilal, alleging they acted with a common intention to kill. The trial court convicted all under IPC s.302 read with s.34, but the High Court acquitted two accused (Ramjilal Sharma and Brijesh Sharma) on the ground that ocular evidence of them wie…

The petitioners sought transfer of a criminal case (FIR No. 39/2016) from the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Delhi to the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Prayagraj under Section 406 of the CrPC. The Supreme Court had earlier allowed the transfer ex parte, but the complainant (respondent No.4) applied for recall, whi…

The petitioner, Common Cause, a registered society, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a declaration that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution, and for directions to recognize 'living wills' or advance directives. The case was referred to a Constitution B…

The appellants, who were in custody for several years—one under trial for an offence under Section 21(c) of the NDPS Act and another convicted under Section 302 of the IPC—challenged the denial of bail, invoking their fundamental right to a speedy trial under Article 21. The Supreme Court examined whether bail must be …

The case concerned the custodial death of Mathura, who was taken into police custody, subjected to electric shock torture, and died shortly after release. The trial court acquitted the police officers, but the High Court convicted them under IPC sections 304 Part II and 330, relying on medical evidence of scrotal burns…

The appellant, Nilesh Dinkar Paradkar, was convicted under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) and the IPC based largely on voice identification of a recorded telephone conversation. The High Court upheld his conviction while acquitting the other accused, relying on the officer's identification of th…

Eight persons were tried by a Sessions Court in Madhya Pradesh for murder and related offences under the Indian Penal Code. The High Court set aside their convictions, and the State appealed, but only four of the accused were impleaded as respondents in the appeal. The Supreme Court, in a 2008 judgment, reversed the ac…

The appellants were convicted for offences under Sections 148, 302/149 and 307/149 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of two persons, based on medical evidence, post‑mortem reports and the testimony of two eye‑witnesses. They appealed to the Supreme Court under Article 136, challenging the conviction on grounds of…

The appellants were tried for offences under Sections 447, 504, 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC and were acquitted by the trial court. The State appealed, and the High Court reversed the acquittal, convicting them under Section 304(Part‑II) read with Section 34, without providing a detailed re‑appreciation of the e…

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

The appellants Javed Masood and another were convicted for murder (Sec. 302 IPC) based primarily on the testimony of the deceased's brother (PW‑5), who lodged a Parcha Bayan. Independent witnesses, including the shop owner (PW‑6) and several police personnel (PW‑18, PW‑29, PW‑30), testified that the brother and other a…

The appellant Bandu was married to Shanta, who gave birth to a daughter Nita. After marital discord, Bandu alleged Nita was not his child and prevented Shanta from feeding her. On 1 January 1991, Bandu strangled Nita, as testified by Shanta, who was an eye‑witness, and the post‑mortem report showed neck injuries consis…

Yogesh Narain Saxena was convicted of murdering his neighbour's ten‑year‑old son, Sandeep, after the child's body was discovered in a tin box inside Saxena's quarter. The prosecution relied solely on circumstantial evidence, including the appellant's proximity to the victim, his presence in the quarter, the recovery of…

The deceased woman, Sherifa, married in 1989, allegedly faced mental and physical harassment from her husband for not receiving the full dowry of Rs.35,000. On 29 August 1991 she jumped into an uncovered well, resulting in her death, which the prosecution claimed was a suicide linked to dowry harassment. The trial cour…

Vasant Vithu Jadhav, a police constable, fired a rifle at his colleague Vilas from a distance of 6-8 feet while the victim slept, causing only simple hurt as the bullet fragmented. He was convicted by the High Court under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code for attempted murder and sentenced to ten years' rigorous imp…

Shankar Narayan Bhadolkar invited the deceased to a dinner and, after the meal, shot him at close range with a loaded gun, causing instantaneous death. The appellant then wrapped the body in a gunny bag and disposed of it in a well. He pleaded that the killing was accidental, invoking Section 80 IPC, or alternatively t…

The State of U.P. appealed against a High Court order that set aside the conviction of respondents for violating a Section 145 order because the complaint was filed by a successor magistrate rather than the magistrate who originally issued the order. The Supreme Court examined the meaning of "public servant concerned" …

The appellant Ravi was convicted of murdering his first wife Jamni by strangulation based largely on circumstantial evidence and hostile witness testimony. The prosecution's case relied on a Zero FIR, a post‑mortem report indicating asphyxia, and the recovery of a rope, while key eyewitnesses turned hostile. The Suprem…

Hansraj was convicted under Section 302 IPC for the murder of Ramlal, based solely on circumstantial evidence. The prosecution alleged a motive of wage dispute, that Hansraj left for his native place, returned with a punctured cycle, and was seen fleeing with a farsi, the alleged murder weapon. The Supreme Court examin…

The appellant, an officiating director of a medical institute, reprimanded an assistant professor in a high‑pitched voice for filing complaints against him during the COVID‑19 pandemic. The professor filed an FIR alleging offences under Sections 269, 270 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code, claiming the director's admonit…

The case involves the murder of Parasnath Singh, who was shot by his son Udaibhan Singh (A‑1) after being urged to do so by his father Jaiprakash Narain Singh (A‑2). Three eye‑witnesses (PW‑1, PW‑2, PW‑4) testified that both accused were present at the pumping set, that A‑2 exhorted his son, and that A‑1 fired the weap…

The appellant, Pappu, lured a seven‑year‑old girl under the pretext of picking lychees, raped and murdered her, and later disclosed the location of her body to the police. He was convicted by the trial court and the High Court of offences under IPC sections 376, 302 and 201 and POCSO sections 5 and 6, and sentenced to …

The case arose from the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire that killed 59 people. Sushil Ansal (the licencee) and his brother Gopal Ansal were convicted under Sections 304‑A, 337, 338 and 36 of the IPC and sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonment, which the Delhi High Court reduced to one year. The Supreme Court, in a two‑ju…

The case involves the double murder of a 12‑year‑old girl and her 50‑year‑old father, and attempted murders of two other family members, allegedly committed by Y. Amaranatha Reddy using a sickle. The trial court convicted the accused under Sections 302, 307 and 324 of the Indian Penal Code, relying on eyewitness testim…

Four accused were convicted under Sections 342, 302 and 201 read with Section 34 of the IPC for a murder case. One of them, Anil Ari, aged about 70 years, had been on bail during the trial and had been in prison for roughly a year when he applied for suspension of his sentence under Section 389 of the CrPC. The Calcutt…

The appellants attacked the father‑in‑law of the complainant with an axe, knife and a gupti after a verbal quarrel that began when a bundle of cotton struck the complainant's roof. The victim died from the injuries. The trial court convicted them of murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC and also under Secti…

The appellant was convicted under IPC sections 447, 376(2)(g), 506 read with 34 for house‑trespass, rape and criminal intimidation. The Karnataka High Court upheld the conviction, but the Supreme Court was approached on the ground that the High Court’s order was practically non‑reasoned and contained no analysis of the…