Judgments of 2019

The appellant, a mother, gave birth to a baby girl in a Delhi hospital; the infant died shortly after being handed to her, and the prosecution alleged she strangulated the child because it was female. The trial court and the High Court convicted her of murder under Section 302 IPC based largely on circumstantial eviden…

The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) and M/s Parasvanath Developers entered into a Development Agreement and a Tripartite Agreement with flat buyers. The flat buyer filed a complaint before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission seeking refund of the deposit, interest, and compensation. The Commission ordere…

Munish Kakkar filed a petition for divorce under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu Marriage Act, alleging cruelty, extra‑marital affairs, and a child out of wedlock, after a marriage that had effectively collapsed with the parties living apart for over sixteen years. The trial court granted a decree of divorce, which the …

Dr. Meeta Sahai, a former Army Medical Corps doctor, applied for a General Medical Officer post in Bihar but was denied marks for work experience because the advertisement limited such experience to hospitals run by the Government of Bihar. She challenged this restriction, arguing that the Bihar Health Service (Appoint…

Genentech Inc., Roche Products (India) and F. Hoffmann‑La Roche filed a suit in the Delhi High Court seeking to restrain Reliance Life Sciences from launching its biosimilar product ‘TrastuRel’, alleging improper use of data and passing off. The Single Judge of the High Court, on 25 April 2016, allowed Reliance to mark…

The Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE) terminated a Rs 165‑crore work contract with M/s ECI‑SPIC‑SMO‑MCML (JV) and the contractor invoked the arbitration clause. The parties' contract and the modified Clause 64 of the General Conditions of Contract required a three‑member arbitral tribunal drawn fr…

The University of Delhi challenged the conversion of land acquired for the Delhi Metro project into a residential housing scheme, filing a writ petition that was dismissed for delay and laches. The University later filed a Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) 916 days after the writ petition’s disposal, seeking condonation of t…

The developer and landowners entered into an unregistered agreement of sale for 54 acres of agricultural land, with a clause stating that physical possession of the entire land was handed over to the developer at execution. Disputes arose over whether the developer actually possessed the 17.31‑acre suit portion and whe…

The appellant Raj Kumari filed a partition suit claiming a one‑fourth share in a tenement allotted to her mother Suhagwanti. The respondent Surinder Pal Sharma defended the suit by producing a registered Will dated 02‑01‑1992, allegedly executed by Suhagwanti in his favour and attested by Ramesh Kumar (the appellant's …

Hooghly Mills Company Ltd., a corporate entity, sought possession of a residential flat that had been occupied by its former director, Bal Binode Bajoria, after his retirement. The company filed a criminal complaint under Section 630(1) of the Companies Act, 1956 and an application under Section 630(2) for dispossessio…

The appellant, an apple orchard owner, supplied packing material on credit to the respondent, who later settled the account and issued a cheque for Rs.5,38,856 which was returned for insufficient funds. The appellant filed a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, which was dismissed by the…

Mr. M. Hariharasudhan, who runs a hotel, sued the respondents for damages after they damaged his property and stole cash. The trial court decreed damages, but the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court set aside the decree, holding that the Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992 implicitly barred…

The Central Government issued a notification on 08‑09‑1994 under Section 10(1) of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 prohibiting contract labour in several categories of work in ONGC establishments. ONGC challenged the notification before the Uttarakhand High Court, which quashed it, but the ONGC …

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a criminal case against Arvind Khanna for receiving Rs 9.04 crore from eight foreign entities without prior government permission, alleging violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) 1976. The trial court took cognizance under the FCRA 2010, but the CBI…

Dr. Lakshman entered into agreements with several respondents to procure 70 acres of land for a payment of Rs 9 crore. The respondents allegedly sold the land before the agreement, issued cheques that later bounced, and forced the appellant to sign sale deeds, leading to complaints under the IPC for cheating, fraud and…

The father of a six‑year‑old girl filed an FIR alleging sexual assault by a teacher at her school. The child’s statements, recorded under Sections 161 and 164 of the CrPC, later identified two men, one wearing spectacles, as perpetrators; the latter was the school manager, not a teaching staff. The trial court, and sub…

The appellants purchased land from a raiyat and the respondent, a contiguous raiyat, claimed a pre‑emptive right under Sections 8 and 9 of the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, 1955, alleging that the sale consideration was inflated. The respondent filed an application with only a partial deposit (the alleged actual consid…

The appellants' land was acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and an award dated 01‑10‑2003 granted them compensation of Rs.1,97,08,397. On 14‑07‑2004 the Collector issued a "review" award reducing the compensation by Rs.49,39,195 on the ground that certain structures on the land were illegal. The appellants c…

The Supreme Court examined two Special Leave Petitions filed by IDBI Bank Ltd. challenging a High Court order that dismissed its application to execute a sale deed of KOFL's sole immovable property and revived winding‑up proceedings against KOFL. The Court held that the winding‑up petition must be revived because the m…

The case concerned a large number of appointments to Class III and Class IV posts in the Bihar Health Department that were made without sanctioned vacancies, advertisement or competent authority, many on forged documents. A State Committee classified the appointments as illegal, forged or irregular and termination orde…

The Municipal Council of Neemuch invited tenders for a 30‑year lease of a municipal land without first obtaining the State Government's sanction required under Section 109 of the Madhya Pradesh Municipality Act, 1961. Two council members objected, leading the Collector to stay the process and direct the council to seek…

The appellants, a group of educational societies running D.A.V. colleges and schools, challenged the applicability of the Right to Information Act, 2005, arguing that they were not public authorities because they were NGOs not substantially financed by the government. The central issue was whether NGOs that receive sub…

The case concerned thirty‑one former IFCI employees who had taken voluntary retirement under the VRS‑2008 scheme and later claimed enhanced pension benefits based on RBI pay‑scale revisions that were applied retrospectively to periods when they were still employees. The employees argued that a clarification in the earl…

K. Arjun Das, claiming to be a tenant of land belonging to the deity Sri Rama Laxman Sita Swamy Bije, applied under Section 19 of the Orissa Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1951 for permission to sell 4.255 acres of barren land. The Commissioner, after an inquiry, fixed an upset price of Rs.10 lakhs per acre, gave Das …

The appellants, heirs of the original tenure holders of Plot No. 2902, challenged the validity of a 1973 sale deed that transferred the plot to the respondents and a subsequent 1974 exchange deed that was executed without the permission of the Assistant Collector required under Section 161 of the Uttar Pradesh Zamindar…

The case concerned two recruitment advertisements for Assistant Professor posts at Himachal Pradesh University. The appellant, an OBC candidate, was appointed, while the respondent, a General category candidate, claimed he was denied five marks for "publications" that had been awarded in an earlier, incomplete selectio…

Ritu Saxena filed a suit for specific performance of an agreement to sell a flat, claiming she was ready and willing to pay the balance consideration of Rs.50 lakhs. The trial court dismissed the suit, holding that she failed to prove her financial capacity, a finding affirmed by the Delhi High Court. On appeal, the Su…

Maheshwary Handling Agency Pvt. Ltd., a cargo clearing and forwarding company, used storage facilities at Kandla Port and was levied penalty rent for storing cargo beyond sixty days under a circular issued by the Traffic Manager on 31 August 1998. The agency challenged the circular, arguing that after the 1997 amendmen…

The State of Maharashtra acquired 26,554.39 hectares of agricultural land for the Mukane Dam project, classifying it as Jirayat, Bagayat and Pot Kharab. The Land Acquisition Officer initially fixed compensation rates, which were partly enhanced by a Civil Court under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The St…

RB Dealers Private Limited owned land that was acquired for the Kolkata Metro project under the Metro Railways (Construction of Works) Act, 1978. The competent authority initially awarded market value and a sum for the structure, which was later enhanced by the appellate authority to include a 12% per annum amount on t…

The plaintiff, Shree Chaitanya Constructions, filed a suit for specific performance against eight members of a family. The trial court rejected the suit and ordered a refund; the plaintiff appealed. The High Court set aside the trial court’s order and decreed specific performance, but the respondent (Defendant No.5) la…

The original plaintiffs filed a suit for specific performance of an agreement to sell against the vendor. During the pendency of the suit, the vendor, despite an injunction, sold the property to the appellant, who then applied under Order 1 Rule 10 of the CPC to be impleaded as a defendant. The trial court allowed the …

Century Metal Recycling Pvt. Ltd. regularly imported aluminium scrap for alloy production and declared a transaction value of Rs.81.31 per kg. The customs authorities rejected this value, citing a Valuation Alert and compelled the importer to consent to a valuation by the authorities, thereby waiving its right to provi…

The petitioners challenged a perceived conflict between sub‑paragraph (2) of paragraph 3 and paragraph 8 of the Schedule to the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, contending that persons declared illegal migrants or foreigners could still appeal and be included in t…

The appellant, Yogendra Singh, was convicted under IPC sections 302, 326A and 460 for throwing acid on his former lover, Smt. Ruby, resulting in her death and injuring her relatives. The trial court and High Court affirmed the conviction and imposed the death penalty, relying heavily on the victim's dying declaration a…

The Supreme Court examined challenges to the Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance Act, 2016 and its Rules, which regulate dance performances in hotels, restaurants and bar rooms. Petitioners argued that provisions defining "obscene dance", licensing restrictions, punitive measures for tips, and various licensing co…

The father of Parkash Chand, a peon in the Himachal Pradesh Revenue Department, died in service in 1997 while Chand was a minor. After attaining majority, Chand applied for a compassionate appointment but his request was rejected on the ground that his elder brother was already employed with a state undertaking. Chand …

The Supreme Court examined the conduct of R.K.D.F. Medical College, which had been permitted to admit MBBS students but was found to have repeatedly failed to meet minimum standards. An enquiry revealed that the college fabricated patient records and falsified documents to mislead the Court and the Medical Council of I…

The appellant, a director of Lakshmi Cement and Ceramics Industries Ltd., borrowed Rs 4,15,000 from the respondent and issued a cheque on the company's behalf, which later bounced. A notice of demand was served only on the appellant, not on the company, and a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Ac…

The appellant, accused No.3 in a CBI case involving offences under Sections 120‑B, 420, 409 IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, was required to appear before the trial court in Hyderabad every Friday despite residing in Delhi. He applied under Section 205 of the CrPC to be exempted from personal appearance, citin…

The mother, alleged to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia, filed a guardianship petition seeking custody of her minor daughter, while the father sought custody on grounds of the mother’s mental illness and alleged cruelty. The mother counter‑alleged that the father sexually abused the child. Three counsellors reported …

The Supreme Court examined the recruitment of Technician Grade‑II officers by Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. and the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Service Commission, where the advertisement required a Certificate of Computer Concept (CCC) or an equivalent qualification. Candidates were allowed to self‑declare equiva…

The case arose from a complaint by the mother of a pre‑term baby who became totally blind due to alleged failure to screen for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission held the hospital and three doctors negligent and awarded Rs. 64,00,000 in compensation. On appeal, the Sup…

The appellants were stopped by police in Gujarat and found in possession of prohibited firearms, leading to an FIR under the Arms Act and a concurrent charge under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA). The prosecution sought to add a TADA offence after obtaining sanction from the Distri…

The petitioners, licensed dealers of the old grain market, sought allotment of plots in a newly created market after the old market was de‑notified. Their applications were rejected, leading to writ petitions. The Punjab High Court initially denied relief (2010) but later granted some relief (2015‑16). The appellants c…

John D’ Souza, a former bus conductor, was dismissed by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation after a domestic enquiry that found him guilty of absenteeism. While an industrial dispute concerning his dismissal was pending before the Labour Court, the corporation sought permission to effectuate the dismissal under …

An FIR alleging land‑grab and extortion was filed in 2009, leading to a police investigation and a charge‑sheet. After the magistrate took cognizance and issued summons, the accused applied under s.173(8) CrPC for further investigation and for the magistrate to order a fresh FIR; the magistrate rejected these applicati…

The Supreme Court examined whether employees of non‑government educational institutions could claim grant‑in‑aid under the Orissa (Non‑Government Colleges, Junior Colleges and Higher Secondary Schools) Grant‑in‑aid Order, 1994 after that order was repealed by the 2004 Order (and subsequently by the 2008 and 2009 Orders…

The Supreme Court examined a Special Leave Petition challenging the earlier decision in HUDA v. Sunita, which held that the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission could not adjudicate statutory fees imposed by a development authority. The Court interpreted sections 2(1)(d), (g) and (o) of the Consumer Protecti…

The appellant, a Judicial Magistrate, was suspended and later dismissed for passing orders favoring the clients and relatives of a lady lawyer with whom he had a close personal relationship. The Supreme Court examined whether such conduct, deemed a form of non‑monetary gratification, justified dismissal under Maharasht…

The parents of 21‑year‑old Pradeep Tokas filed a claim under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act after he died as a pillion rider in a collision with a stationary truck. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) awarded compensation based on a notional monthly income of Rs 16,246, a multiplier of 15 derived from the …

The case concerns the murder of Ram Autar on 8 January 1984, for which appellants Rameshwar and Balaram were convicted under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The prosecution alleged that Rameshwar, armed with an axe, and Balaram, armed with a rifle, acted in concert to kill the deceased, with …

A claim petition before a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) was filed with a vakalatnama signed by two advocates, Mr. R.M. Singh and Mr. D.K. Saxena. After a settlement, the MACT held that the compromise could be filed only through Mr. Singh because of a fee dispute, effectively rejecting the filing by Mr. Saxena. …

The Gujarat Maritime Board issued a tender to auction eight vacant ship‑recycling plots, reserving four for ST and two for SC candidates. The SC/ST Shipbreakers Association challenged the reservation, arguing that the 2015 Regulations required reservation to be calculated on the total number of plots (20) rather than t…

The case concerned a 16‑feet‑by‑103‑feet passage in a Chennai property. The plaintiff (Dr. S. Kumar & Ors.) claimed exclusive right to use the passage based on a sale deed dated 31 May 1988, while the defendant No.2 (S. Ramalingam) relied on an earlier sale deed dated 1 April 1976 that reserved a right of way for her. …

The Supreme Court examined the eligibility criteria for the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) under the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines, specifically the meaning of the term “pursuing” in clause 5(ii). The petitioners, who had been appointed as Assistant Teachers while still enrolled in a Teacher …

The State Bank of India (SBI) conducted a departmental inquiry against Mohammad Badruddin on five charges, finding only charge No. 4 proved. The Disciplinary Authority, disagreeing with the Inquiry Officer on charges 1 and 5, imposed removal from service, while an earlier appellate authority had altered a compulsory re…

Chaman Lal purchased land in 1949 and executed a gift deed in 1958 in favour of his step‑mother, Gurdev Kaur. The dispute arose when Chaman Lal filed a partition suit in 1987 claiming that only half of the land had been gifted. The trial court and the first appellate court ordered a half‑share partition, but the Punjab…

The appellant, Smt. Sulekha Rani, sought family pension after her husband, an Army Jawan, was discharged on 31 August 2001 without the convening of an Invalidating Medical Board and later died in 2007. The Armed Forces Tribunal dismissed her claim, relying on Army Rule 13(3)(III)(v), a residuary provision for discharge…

The plaintiff, Syed Nabi, borrowed Rs 5,000 from the defendant and later an additional Rs 2,224, treating the sums as consideration for a sale of his land. A registered sale deed dated 10‑12‑1968 conveyed the land to the defendant, and a contemporaneous agreement promised reconveyance upon repayment. A later agreement …

The State of Madhya Pradesh challenged a decree of the High Court that had set aside an order of the Competent Authority under the Madhya Pradesh Ceiling on Agricultural Holdings Act, 1960, which had treated land inherited by the plaintiff's wife as part of the family holding and declared surplus. The plaintiff, Dungaj…

The landowners' property was acquired by the State for NTPC's benefit, and the Land Acquisition Officer initially offered Rs.3,87,383 per bigha as compensation. The owners sought a reference under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act, and the Reference Court enhanced the compensation to Rs.5,00,000 per bigha. The Sta…

The appellant, a founder member of Adarsh Colony Cooperative House Building Society, deposited monies between 1975 and 1982 for a residential plot. Although an administrator allotted her a 250‑sq‑yard plot (No. 41‑D) in 1983, the allotment was later cancelled and the plot was allegedly re‑allotted to another member. Th…

The case concerned a suit for possession of a shop in Ludhiana filed by the grandson and great‑grandson of Dr. Hira Singh, who claimed title after the death of the testator’s widowed daughter, Shiv Dev Kaur, who held a life interest under a 1944 will. The daughter had created a tenancy with the defendant and was entitl…

The Commissioner of Income Tax appealed a decision of the High Court that had dismissed the appeal against an addition of Rs.1,70,94,000 made under section 148 of the Income Tax Act. The Supreme Court examined whether the High Court complied with the mandatory procedure of section 260-A, which requires the court to fra…

The appellant, a widow, claimed that her deceased husband had paid an insurance premium for a loan secured by Shriram City Union Finance Ltd., but the finance company delayed forwarding the premium to its sister insurance company, resulting in a failure to activate the policy. The District Forum and State Commission he…

The appellant, mother of a woman who died in Nigeria, sought to summon Dr. I. Yusuf, the pathologist who performed the first post‑mortem, under Section 311 of the CrPC, either through the Nigerian High Commission or by video‑conferencing. The trial court rejected the application, citing the case's long pendency, and th…

Sarv Jan Kalyan Sewa Samiti appealed to the Supreme Court against an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) dated 11 February 2019 that disposed of Original Application No.124 of 2017, thereby preventing the appellant from raising objections to a proposed land‑forest exchange. The Supreme Court had earlier, on 8 Fe…

The appellant was charged under Sections 420, 468 and 471 IPC based on an FIR lodged in 2007. After the police filed a charge‑sheet, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate discharged the accused on 5 February 2013 but, in the same order, suo moto directed the police to conduct further investigation and submit a f…

The Supreme Court examined whether the proviso to Section 12(5) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 could be invoked to validate an arbitrator who had become ineligible under the Seventh Schedule. The Court held that the proviso applies only when, after a dispute arises, the parties execute an express written…

The father of Shashi Kumar, a horticulture department employee, died in service in 2005. Kumar applied in 2007 for a compassionate appointment, which required the family’s income, including pension, to be disclosed. He filed a writ petition in 2015 after a delay of more than seven years; the Himachal Pradesh High Court…

The appellants, TC Healthcare Ltd. and Modi Mundipharma Pvt. Ltd., challenged ceiling‑price notifications issued under the Drugs (Price Control) Order, 1995 for formulations containing frusemide, potassium and theophylline that employed sustained‑release or continuous‑release technology. They contended that Paragraph 7…

The Supreme Court examined the promotion of Jawahar Santkhumar to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) for the 2004 selection year. A Selection Committee, under the IAS (Appointment by Promotion) Regulations, classified him as "Good" and did not include him in the Select List because only three vacancies existed and…

The plaintiff, Sujathamma, a maternal granddaughter of the deceased's father, claimed to have married her maternal uncle Hanumanthappa on 7 March 1986 and sought a share of his estate as his wife. The alleged marriage was supported only by a registration document (Ex.P/1) with no evidence of any customary rites or sapt…

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) owned several plots that were leased to SevenHills Healthcare for a 1500‑bed hospital, but the project was not completed and lease rent was in default. MCGM issued a show‑cause notice and, before the notice period expired, the corporate debtor was admitted to insolvenc…

The Supreme Court examined the corporate insolvency resolution of Essar Steel India Ltd, where ArcelorMittal's resolution plan was approved by the Committee of Creditors (CoC) but later altered by the NCLAT, which imposed an equal treatment rule for all creditors and re‑distributed payments. The Court held that the CoC…

The appellant, Santosh Chaturvedi, filed a petition under Section 21(1)(a) of the U.P. Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972 seeking release of a shop premises occupied by the respondents. The prescribed authority dismissed the petition on the ground that the appellant could not claim own…

The petitioner sought enforcement of a Singapore arbitral award of about Rs.3,500 crore against respondents who owned Fortis Healthcare. The Supreme Court had earlier ordered a status‑quo on 11 August 2017, clarified on 31 August 2017 and modified on 15 February 2018, prohibiting any change in the shareholding of Forti…

The State prosecuted Baljinder Singh, the driver of a vehicle, and Khushi Khan, his companion, for possession of poppy husk under Section 15 of the NDPS Act after police stopped their vehicle and recovered seven bags of poppy husk weighing 34 kg each. The accused were personally searched after arrest, but the search wa…

The Delhi High Court had restrained the Union of India from proceeding against Gautam Khatian under Section 55 of the Black Money Act, holding that the Act’s penal provisions were retrospectively applicable from 1 July 2015. The Supreme Court examined whether the Central Government, while exercising powers under Sectio…

The State of Chhattisgarh enacted the Chhattisgarh Rent Control Act, 2011, establishing a Rent Controller and a Rent Control Tribunal. Section 13 of the Act provides that an aggrieved party may appeal a Tribunal order directly to the Supreme Court. The petitioner challenged this provision as unconstitutional. The Court…

The appellant filed a summary suit under Order XXXVII of the CPC for recovery of Rs.64.18 lakh, while the respondent had earlier instituted a criminal prosecution under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which was later withdrawn. The trial court and the High Court granted conditional leave to defend, impos…

The appellant, Sobha Singh & Sons Pvt Ltd, a landlord, obtained a consent order on 1 June 2012 in a suit for eviction of the respondent, the legal representative of the deceased tenant. The respondent failed to vacate the suit house despite extensions and the appellant filed an execution petition. The respondent challe…

The respondent, Karamjit Singh, was initially appointed as a daily‑wage chowkidar and later regularized through an Office Order that allegedly interpolated his name into the final list of employees, despite not having the requisite three years of continuous service. The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (…

The appellant filed a criminal complaint under Sections 323, 327, 379 read with Section 34 of the IPC alleging assault and theft by the respondents, who were also parties to a pending civil landlord‑tenant dispute. The Judicial Magistrate took cognizance of the complaint, but the High Court quashed it on the ground tha…

The father (Ashok Kumar Mehra) and son (Kushwant Kumar Mehra) were convicted of murder under IPC s.302/34 by the High Court, overturning an earlier acquittal. The son was 17 years and 5 months old at the time of the offence (born 14‑06‑1980, offence on 04‑01‑1998) and raised a plea of juvenility for the first time befo…

The accused persons (respondent Nos. 2‑4) were charged with offences under Sections 307, 323, 325, 336 and 341 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. They contended that the two medical reports filed by the prosecution did not establish a case under Section 307, and the trial court discharged them from that cha…

The plaintiff entered into a sale agreement for a schedule property, paying Rs.26,000 as earnest money and agreeing to pay the balance of Rs.29.74 lakh upon execution of the sale deed. The agreement required the defendant to settle a pending family dispute within six months, else the execution date could be extended. T…

Harveer Singh and another were acquitted by a Judicial Magistrate of offences under Sections 323, 324, 452, 504 and 506 IPC. The State appealed, and the Appellate Court convicted them on three of those sections, imposing rigorous imprisonment and fines. The convicts filed a criminal revision before the Allahabad High C…

The appellant, a society running Dayal Nursing College, Gwalior, which has been offering B.Sc (Nursing) since 2006, applied for recognition to run B.Sc and M.Sc (Nursing) courses for the 2018‑19 academic session. The Madhya Pradesh Nurses Registration Council (SNRC) rejected the application on the ground that the onlin…

The appellant, Nandlal Baviskar, was convicted of murder (Sec. 302 IPC) for causing the death of his cousin's brother during a dispute over a common wall. The incident involved an exchange of abuse, a stick blow on the appellant, his retreat to his house, and a return armed with a gupti, which he used to inflict a sing…

The prosecution, in a trial for three accused under the IPC and Arms Act, sought to summon eight additional persons under Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure based on a witness statement that eleven persons were involved. The trial court summoned only one of the eight and dismissed the rest; the High Court af…

The State of Gujarat appealed a Gujarat High Court order that, under Section 482 of the CrPC, quashed an FIR in part for serious offences of dacoity (IPC ss. 392, 395, 397) while upholding it for lesser offences. The Supreme Court held that the High Court erred in exercising its inherent powers to quash the FIR at a pr…

The appellants, heirs of Kaihosrou (Chick) Kavasji Framji, claimed ownership of a 1.52‑acre property in Pune that had been leased to the Government and later requisitioned. The Union of India, asserting title, issued a notice under Section 4 of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971, seeking…

The case concerned the murder of Parasram Yadav, Deputy Sarpanch, allegedly committed by a mob of 25‑30 persons. The FIR named several individuals, and 17 persons, including the four appellants, were tried and convicted under sections 147, 148, 302 read with 149, 323, 342 and 450 of the IPC. The appellants appealed, ar…

The appellants were employees of the Overseas Communications Service (OCS) which was converted into Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) in 1986. They exercised the option to be absorbed into VSNL on 2 January 1990 and also chose to retain pension benefits under Central Government rules, despite having less than ten yea…

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

The suit land in Sirsa, Haryana was subject to ceiling proceedings under the Haryana Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972, and the prescribed authority issued an order on 17 October 1978. Two separate civil suits were filed challenging the legality of that order and seeking its declaration as null and void. The High Cour…

The first complainant booked a hotel stay at the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) where her husband drowned in the swimming pool. The lifeguard on duty was also assigned bartending duties, and a foreign guest initially rescued the victim. A consumer complaint was filed alleging deficiency of service, and t…

The wife filed for divorce and custody of her US‑citizen children in a US court, which issued an interim order directing the father to appear for conciliation and later granted him temporary physical custody, ordering the children be returned to the US. She then travelled to India and, concealing the US proceedings, fi…

Shree Lal Meena resigned from LIC in 1990 because no voluntary retirement scheme existed, and later sought pension benefits under the LIC Employees' Pension Rules, 1995 which were retrospectively applied from 1993. The Supreme Court examined whether a resignation could be treated as voluntary retirement and whether the…

The appellant, Rohitbhai Jivanlal Patel, issued seven post‑dated cheques of Rs.3 lakh each to the complainant, which were later dishonoured for insufficient funds or a closed account. The trial court acquitted him, holding that the complainant had not proved the existence of a legally enforceable debt, but the High Cou…

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

Prem Ram, a constable in the Uttarakhand Police, was dismissed in 2007 for drunkenness and misbehaving with the public, a fact established by a medical report and a disciplinary enquiry. He filed a writ petition, but the High Court directed him to the statutory appeal route, where his appeal was dismissed by the Inspec…

The Income Tax Department appealed against a High Court order that dismissed its challenge to the applicability of Section 35-D of the Income Tax Act, 1961 to Yes Bank Ltd. The core issue was whether Yes Bank, as an industrial undertaking, could claim the deduction under Section 35-D for the assessment year 2007-2008. …

Mehboob-ur-Rehman filed a suit for specific performance of a 1975 agreement to sell a house, alleging the defendant failed to obtain required land‑ceiling permission. The trial court decreed in his favour, but the first appellate court reversed, holding the plaintiff had not shown continuous readiness and willingness t…

The appellants sought to quash a FIR filed by the first respondent alleging offences under Sections 405, 406, 415 and 420 IPC read with Section 34, claiming the complaint was a civil dispute disguised as a criminal case. The High Court had rejected the petition and stayed the proceedings pending a civil suit. On appeal…

The petitioners filed a writ petition under Article 32 alleging that the Central Information Commission (CIC) and several State Information Commissions (SICs) had large backlogs because vacancies of Information Commissioners were not filled promptly and the appointment process lacked transparency. The Court examined wh…

The appellant, a coal buyer, entered into several sale orders under Coal India Ltd.'s 2007 e‑auction scheme, which contained an arbitration clause (Clause 11.12). After the appellant was deemed to have breached the scheme and his earnest money deposit was forfeited, he invoked the arbitration clause, but the respondent…

Essar Shipping's vessel M.V. Chennai Nermai collided with a coal loader while being berthed at Haldia Dock, causing damage. The Master initially denied liability but later signed an endorsement accepting responsibility under protest. The Government appointed a four‑member technical Committee which concluded that the ac…

Gaurav Kumar (Monu) was convicted for murder under IPC 302 for an incident that occurred on 23-24 May 2000. He claimed he was a juvenile at the time, relying on a school certificate showing a date of birth of 17 August 1982, while the municipal birth certificate recorded 17 August 1981. The Sessions Judge, after an inq…

The appeal concerned a custody dispute over a child born to Perry Kansagra and Smriti Madan Kansagra. After mediation failed, the High Court had held that the mediator’s and counsellor’s reports were confidential and could not be used, and later set aside that decision on review. The Supreme Court held that the High Co…

Lt. Col. Dharamvir Singh, an Indian Army officer, was posted in Nanded, Maharashtra when an attachment order dated 5 October 2018 was issued by the Army headquarters to initiate disciplinary action under Army Instruction 30/86. He challenged the attachment order through a writ petition under Article 226 before the Mani…

The deceased Surjan Singh Randhawa executed an unregistered Will in 1961 bequeathing property to his eldest daughter, Gian Hanspal. Twenty years later, a probate petition was filed and the Calcutta High Court granted probate on 4 June 1982 without issuing citations to all legal heirs, notably the younger daughter Beena…

The case arose when a guest's car, parked under the valet service of Taj Mahal Hotel, was stolen after three young men entered the premises and took the keys from the valet. The guest's insurer, United India Insurance, settled the claim and, together with the car owner, filed a consumer complaint against the hotel. The…

Lilavati Kirtial Mehta Medical Trust (the appellant) purchased 29 flats from M/s Unique Shanti Developers in 1995 to provide hostel accommodation for nurses employed at its hospital. The flats became dilapidated, were vacated in 2002, and the Trust filed a consumer complaint seeking compensation, which was dismissed by…

The Central Excise Department conducted a search at the premises of M/s Krishna Wax (P) Ltd., alleging unauthorised manufacture of foots oil and wax without payment of excise duty. The respondent, not registered under the Act, challenged the Department's jurisdiction and the issuance of a show‑cause notice, leading the…

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

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

WAPCOS Ltd entered into a contract with Salma Dam Joint Venture (SDJV), a 95%-5% joint venture of SSPPL and AIL, for the reconstruction of the Salma Dam. After the original contract’s arbitration clause, the parties executed an Amendment of Agreement (AoA) on 9 June 2015, which expressly stated that no further claims w…

The plaintiff purchased a property that was earlier let to a tenant whose successors, defendants No.1 and 2, continued occupying it. After informing them of the purchase, the plaintiff demanded rent which they failed to pay, leading to a regular civil suit for eviction. The defendants argued that the deceased tenant's …

The petitioners sought a review of the Supreme Court's 28 September 2018 judgment in Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala, which struck down the exclusion of women aged 10‑50 from the Sabarimala temple. The Court examined whether any material error or patent mistake existed in the earlier judgment, parti…

The Union of India (Railways) awarded civil engineering contracts to Pradeep Vinod Construction Company, which later claimed additional payments despite having signed final bills and supplementary agreements indicating full settlement. The contractor invoked the arbitration clause in Clause 64 of the General Conditions…

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

The plaintiffs, successors of an ex‑Zamindar, sued the State of Madhya Pradesh seeking declaration of Bhumiswami rights and a permanent injunction, claiming that the disputed land was Khud‑kasht (personally cultivated) and therefore exempt from vesting under the Madhya Bharat Zamindari Abolition Act. The revenue record…

The petitioners purchased land in Delhi after a Section 4 notification under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 had been issued, and later sought a declaration under Section 24 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 that the acquisition had lapsed. …

The case concerned promotion of Junior Engineers (JEs) in the Uttarakhand Irrigation Department to Assistant Engineer (AE) posts, where 7.33% of promotion vacancies were earmarked for JEs holding a degree with only three years of service, while diploma‑holding JEs required ten years. Diploma‑holders challenged the acce…

The appellant had been purchasing individual mediclaim policies for his family since 2007 and in 2014-15 bought a family mediclaim policy with a sum insured of Rs 5,00,000. During the policy period his son was hospitalized and incurred medical expenses of over Rs 8,00,000, but the insurer initially repudiated the claim…

The Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner issued a notice under Section 7A of the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, demanding that the Uttar Pradesh State Warehousing Corporation pay EPF contributions for 159 workers who performed loading and unloading in its godowns through contractors…

The State of Rajasthan challenged a civil suit in which Shiv Dayal, the mining lessee, obtained a permanent injunction restraining the State from interfering with mining on land he claimed was revenue land, not forest land. The trial court and the first appellate court upheld the injunction. The High Court dismissed th…

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

The Himachal Pradesh government acquired 18-15 bighas of land for a road project after taking possession in 1988. The Land Acquisition Officer fixed rates based on land classification, but the Reference Court later fixed a uniform compensation of Rs 7 lakhs per bigha relying on a sale deed (Ex.PW‑1/A) of only one biswa…

The case arose from a matrimonial dispute in which the husband, S. Nallasamy, alleged that his wife’s family forcibly entered his house and threatened him, leading to an FIR under IPC sections 147, 448, 294(b) and 506. The FIR named only 11 persons, although the complainant later claimed that 20 additional persons were…

The respondent, Raj Kumar Anand, a Trained Graduate Teacher, was granted Assured Career Progression (ACP) and placed in an upgraded pay scale effective 10 August 2006 by an order dated 25 April 2008. After the 6th Central Pay Commission’s rules (Central Civil Service (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008) came into force on 29 Aug…

The State of Punjab acquired 14.49 acres of land in nine villages for the Satluj‑Yamuna canal project. The Land Acquisition Officer fixed compensation rates, which were enhanced by the Civil Court and subsequently by the Punjab & Haryana High Court, the latter relying on the lead judgment in Hari Singh v. State of Punj…

The appellant’s predecessor sold tribal agricultural land to the respondent’s predecessor in 1964. After the 1980 amendment inserting Section 170B of the Madhya Pradesh Land Revenue Code, the appellant’s successor (Beniram) sought reversion of the land, and the Collector ordered the land restored to him. The respondent…

The appellants claimed that their predecessor obtained a Saswatha Patta and later ryotwari pattas for two plots in Survey No.234, Tiruchanur village. The District Collector rejected the implementation of the ryotwari pattas, holding that the entire land had been classified as "Peddacheruvu Poramboke" (tank) under Secti…

The case concerned rehabilitation of persons displaced by land acquisition for the Sambalpur‑Talcher Rail Link Project. The Railway Board had issued a policy granting preferential treatment to land oustees for Group C and D posts, subject to meeting qualifications and undergoing the normal selection process. The Centra…

The State of Madhya Pradesh appealed against a Division Bench order that had directed the issuance of an appointment order to Bunty, who had applied for the post of police constable. Bunty had cleared the recruitment tests, but the Screening Committee denied his appointment on the ground that he was involved in a crimi…

The respondent, a teacher appointed on probation at a privately managed primary school, sought approval of her appointment and later challenged her suspension and termination, which were effected without a departmental enquiry. The High Court initially dismissed her writ on the ground that the private school was not a …

The appellant, Sirajul Hoque, was declared a foreigner by the Foreigner's Tribunal on the ground of a discrepancy in his grandfather's name and the fact that his father later resided in a different village. The High Court upheld this declaration, holding that the appellant's written statement was inadequate and failed …

The petitioners challenged Rule 5A(3) of the Bihar Civil Service (Judicial Branch) Recruitment Rules, 1955, which limited the number of candidates called for the final written examination to 10% of those who appeared in the preliminary test. They argued that the rule violated the Supreme Court's decision in Malik Mazha…

The case involves multiple appeals arising from a Delhi High Court judgment concerning the division of powers between the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and the Lieutenant Governor (LG) under Article 239AA of the Constitution. The Supreme Court Constitution Bench had earlier interpreted Artic…

The case involved a fatal road accident in which Sitaram, a government school teacher, was riding a motorcycle that collided with a bus owned by the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation and driven rashly by its driver. The claimants sought compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Motor Accident Cl…

The Cement Workers' Union filed a Special Civil Application (SCA) in the Gujarat High Court seeking to compel Indian Bank and Global Cements Ltd. to pay outstanding wages to workers of a cement factory in Porbandar, Gujarat, and to set aside a Debt Recovery Tribunal order that transferred sale proceeds to the bank. The…

Gagan Kumar was convicted by a Judicial Magistrate of offences under Sections 279 and 304-A of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to two separate terms of rigorous imprisonment with fines. He appealed to the Additional Sessions Judge and then to the High Court, both of which affirmed the conviction and sentence. The s…

The petitioner, MD Mannan, was convicted of rape and murder of an eight‑year‑old girl and sentenced to death by the trial court, a decision affirmed by the High Court and the Supreme Court. He filed a review petition which was dismissed by circulation, but the Supreme Court reopened it following the Mohd Arif decision …

The case involved the murder and robbery of Premchand Jain and his family, for which three accused were initially convicted and sentenced to death. The High Court acquitted the accused, and the matter came before the Supreme Court on appeal by the complainant Ashish Jain and the State of Madhya Pradesh. The Court exami…

The Union of India appealed a High Court order that directed promotion of Havildars in the Assam Rifles to the rank of Naib Subedar for vacancies that arose before the 2011 restructuring and the 2012 recruitment rules. The respondents, who had been promoted to the newly created post of Warrant Officer, contended that t…

The appellants were accused of kidnapping and murdering a nine‑year‑old boy in February 2001. The prosecution's case rested on an extra‑judicial confession by Accused No.1, the testimony of two witnesses (PW‑28 and PW‑29) to establish a "last seen" theory, and circumstantial evidence linking the accused to the recovere…

M/s Daffodills Pharmaceuticals, a bidder for a state tender to supply medicines, was barred from any local procurement by an order dated 21‑08‑2015 issued by the Principal Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh, on the ground that a FIR and CBI inquiry existed against a former director. Daffodills contended that the cr…

The plaintiffs filed a suit for declaration of title, possession and mesne profits, which was dismissed by the trial court. The trial court's decision was set aside by the first appellate court, and the defendants appealed the decree in a second appeal before the High Court of Tripura. On the scheduled hearing date, th…

M. JeyanthI, a Grade II Police Constable, tendered her resignation on 1 June 2017 which was accepted by the Director General of Police on 12 June 2017. She attempted to withdraw the resignation on 13 July 2017. The DGP rejected her representation, leading to a writ petition that was dismissed by a Single Judge. The Mad…

Saurashtra Chemicals Ltd. (now Nirma Ltd.) bought a standard fire and special perils policy with an additional premium covering loss from spontaneous combustion. After the factory reopened, part of its coal and lignite stock was destroyed by spontaneous combustion and the company claimed Rs. 1.4 crore. The insurer appo…

The Supreme Court considered an appeal by landowners whose compensation for land acquired for the Hubli-Ankola railway line had been reduced by the Karnataka High Court from Rs 10,00,000 per acre to Rs 5,10,000 per acre. The original award of Rs 10,00,000 per acre had been granted by a Reference Court after enhancement…

The appellants (Ruias) entered into a settlement on 5 December 2002 transferring 75,001 shares of Bombay Oxygen Investments Ltd. to them. Respondent No.1 (Messer Holdings Ltd.) filed Suit No. 2410 of 2008 seeking to cancel the settlement and claimed ownership of the shares, raising a limitation defence under Section 9A…

More than 90 candidates who appeared for the Main (Written) Examination for Civil Judge (Junior Division) challenged the selection process, alleging that the evaluation was arbitrary, lacked a model answer key, and that only nine out of 1,195 candidates qualified. The Supreme Court examined the examination’s security, …

The appellants were initially appointed on an ad‑hoc basis to the Ambedkar Nagar Judgeship between 1999 and 2001 and continued in service after a 2006 High Court order allowing them to remain pending a recruitment process that was later cancelled. They sought regularisation; a District Judge formed a Committee which re…

Suraj Jagannath Jadav was convicted of murder for pouring kerosene on his pregnant wife and setting her ablaze. He appealed, arguing that he was intoxicated, lacked intent to kill, and that the subsequent act of pouring water should reduce the offence to culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Exception 4 to Se…

The appellant, a meritorious candidate claiming reservation in the sports and games category, was denied admission to the MBBS course after the statutory cut‑off date of 30 September 2015. The High Court, relying on the decision in Jasmine Kaur, refused admission and awarded only monetary compensation. The Supreme Cour…

The Supreme Court examined contempt petitions filed by a group of assistant‑teacher candidates who alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government had failed to appoint them despite interim orders directing the appointment of all candidates who scored at least 70% (general) or 65% (reserved) in the Teacher Eligibility Test. …

Siraj Ahmad was appointed on an ad‑hoc basis as Junior Engineer in 1987 under the U.P. Development Authorities Centralised Service Rules, 1985, without the concurrence of the U.P. Public Service Commission. While in service he obtained a B.Sc. (Engineering) degree and sought promotion to Assistant Engineer under sub‑ru…

The Commissioner of Police, Aurangabad, detained Balu under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1981, and the order was approved by the State Government and confirmed by the Advisory Board. Balu challenged the detention before the High Court, which set aside the order on merits and also on the groun…

The Oriental Insurance Co. issued a fire insurance policy to Dicitex Furnishing Ltd., which suffered a total loss of stock in 2012. After a protracted assessment process, the insurer eventually offered a settlement of Rs 7.16 crore, far less than the claim of over Rs 14 crore, and conditioned further payment on Dicitex…

The Finance Act, 2017, through Part XIV, amended 25 enactments to merge tribunals and delegate rule-making power to the Central Government regarding qualifications, appointment, and service conditions of tribunal members. The Supreme Court considered whether Part XIV could be passed as a Money Bill under Article 110, b…

The respondent, Subhash Chandra Agarwal, filed three RTI applications seeking information about (1) correspondence regarding the appointment of three Supreme Court judges who superseded seniority, (2) declaration of assets by judges pursuant to a 1997 resolution, and (3) correspondence about a Union Minister allegedly …

The petitioners, elected members of the 15th Karnataka Legislative Assembly, tendered resignations after being accused of defying party whips, but the Speaker rejected their resignations and disqualified them under the Tenth Schedule, imposing a ban lasting until the end of the Assembly term. The Supreme Court examined…

The case concerned the succession of property belonging to a Goan domicile, Joaquim Mariano Pereira, who had bequeathed a Bombay immovable to one daughter while the other two daughters contested the applicability of the Portuguese Civil Code, 1867, to that property. The dispute centered on whether the Portuguese Civil …

The case arose from the loss of two pistols during a T‑90 tank conversion exercise of the 71 Armoured Regiment at Pokhran. The accused soldiers, Neeraj Kumar Dhaka and Sandeep Kumar, were convicted by a District Court Martial for theft and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment and dismissal. The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT…

The Bihar State Housing Board advertised a plot for a health centre, but the sole applicant, Radha Ballabh Health Care & Research Institute, was not allotted the advertised plot. After several writ petitions, the High Court directed the Board to consider the institute’s claim and to fix a price proportionate to the adv…

The dispute concerned a theatre built on land owned by Sankara Kurup. After his death, his son Viswanatha claimed ownership, while the son‑in‑law Kumara managed the theatre and later claimed tenancy under the Kerala Land Reforms Act. The Land Tribunal rejected Kumara’s tenancy claim, finding he was only a manager. The …

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (India) (IME) conducts bi‑annual examinations and awards a Certificate of Membership (AMIE). Historically, the Government of India recognised this certificate as equivalent to a degree or diploma for Central Government recruitment, but the High Court held it was not equivalent to…

The Supreme Court examined the State Coordinator's report on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, specifically paragraphs 7(a), 7(b) and 7(c) which dealt with the exclusion or inclusion of descendants of Declared Voters (DV), Declared Foreigners (DF) and Persons Found to be Tribunals (PFT). The petitioners…

The assessee, Laxman Das Khandelwal, a broker, was subjected to a search and seizure and subsequently assessed under Section 143(3) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 with large additions. He appealed, and the Revenue filed a cross‑objection alleging that no notice under Section 143(2) had been issued, rendering the reassessm…

The plaintiffs entered into agreements dated 20‑09‑1965 and 28‑04‑1966 for the sale of 50 acres of agricultural land, paying part of the consideration and taking partial possession. The defendants contended that the documents were merely collateral security for a loan. The Supreme Court held that the agreements were un…

The petitioners, junior engineers who obtained B.Tech (Civil) degrees through distance education between 2001‑2005, passed the AICTE test in June 2018 and claimed that the respondents had violated Supreme Court directions by not granting them promotions and other benefits. The Supreme Court had earlier, in a civil appe…

The appellants, land owners of about six kilometres of land in Surat, Gujarat, challenged the acquisition of 131 kilometres of land for the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, arguing that the Competent Authority failed to comply with Section 20D(2) of the Railways Act, 1989 by not passing a reasoned order after the pe…

M/s S.G. Asia Holdings (India) Pvt. Ltd. received brokerage from its parent company at a rate of 0.05%, which the Assessing Officer (AO) deemed lower than market rates and made a transfer pricing addition of Rs.2,89,82,746 under Section 92 of the Income Tax Act. The AO did not refer the matter to a Transfer Pricing Off…

The State of Haryana appealed against the High Court’s order acquitting Angoori Devi and others for the death of Babli, who died from burns within three and a half years of marriage. The prosecution alleged that the in‑laws demanded dowry and subjected the victim to cruelty, culminating in her being set on fire. The tr…

The victim, Jyoti Sharma, an employee of Central Bank, alleged repeated harassment by Deepak Bhamawat, including a fraudulent loan taken in her name, termination from her job, and eviction from her residence. She committed suicide by consuming poison and, in her dying declaration, blamed Deepak for her harassment. The …

The plaintiff and his brother executed a registered gift deed in 1981 transferring land to the appellant, the appellant's son. Neither the plaintiff nor his brother contested the deed for about 22 years; the appellant filed a partition suit in 2001, in which the plaintiff was a defendant. In 2003 the plaintiff filed a …

The plaintiff filed a suit for perpetual injunction alleging ownership of land and challenged a will executed by the deceased brother. The trial court upheld the plaintiff's claim, but the first appellate court reversed that decision after re‑appraising the evidence and deeming the will genuine. The High Court, exercis…

After the deaths of Late Sadanand V. Marathe and his wife, their son filed inventory proceedings for their estate, which included a lease premises held by a partnership firm. The appellants, the deceased's daughters, objected to the exclusion of the lease premises from the inventory, arguing that as married daughters t…

The Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC) issued a Shipments (Comprehensive Risk) Policy to M.S. Creations for export of handloom goods to SICOREP in Ivory Coast. After a change in the collecting bank to Banqyue De ‘L’ Habitat (BHCI), the bank released shipping documents without acceptance, causing the ex…

The appellants, owners of agricultural land, entered into an agreement to sell the land to the respondent and issued two post‑dated cheques for the balance consideration. Both cheques were returned unpaid for insufficient funds, prompting the appellants to issue legal notices and file complaints under Section 138 of th…

The Southern Railway issued a notification on 14‑10‑1999 for five posts under the 30% LDCE quota, four unreserved and one reserved for SC. C. Girija, a general‑category employee, applied but was not placed on the panel declared on 09‑01‑2001. Six and a half years later, on 25‑09‑2007, she filed a representation seeking…

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) and the workers’ union TNEB‑Thozhilalar Aykkia Sangam entered into a wage settlement on 8 July 1998 under s. 18 of the Industrial Disputes Act, which provided that Dearness Allowance (DA) would be revised twice yearly using the same formula as the State Government. The Board cons…

The State of Maharashtra sought to detain six accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) beyond the statutory 90‑day period, filing an application for a further 90‑day extension. The respondents claimed default bail, arguing that the public prosecutor’s report did not satisfy the proviso to Section 4…

Vasant Chemicals Ltd, an industrial unit that treats its effluents at a common effluent treatment plant (JETL) before discharging them into the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s (HMWS&SB) sewer line, challenged the Board’s levy of sewerage cess under Section 55 of the HMWS&SB Act. The company arg…

The appellants were charged under Sections 379, 427, 447, 504, 506 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly trespassing onto land claimed by the complainant, cutting and stealing wheat, and assaulting him and his family. The trial court, after examining the testimonies of the complainant and his rel…

The appellants, Head Operators in the Kerala Water Authority, challenged the State Government's order that abolished the intermediate post of Senior Operator and reduced their pay scale. The High Court had held that the creation of the Senior Operator post by administrative order was ultra vires and required amendment …

The petitioner, a U.S. citizen, married a U.S. citizen husband and had two children who are U.S. citizens. After a visit to India, the petitioner refused to return to the United States with the children, prompting the husband to obtain custody orders in a Connecticut Superior Court and later file a habeas corpus petiti…

The Supreme Court examined whether three entities – Shree Vishal Printers Ltd (SVPL), Times Publishing House Ltd (TPHL) and Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd (BCCL) Jaipur – could claim exemption from the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 under Section 16(1)(d). The Court applied the functional…

The suit concerned a three‑storeyed house in Almora originally owned in equal shares by three brothers. Over time the shares were transferred, mortgaged and eventually redeemed, resulting in the appellant (Mohan Chandra Tamta) becoming the full owner. Defendants 1 and 2, who were tenants, claimed the property belonged …

The case involved 90 non‑management workers (NMRs) of the Rengali Hydro Electric Project who claimed that they were forced to sign applications for a Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) through fraud and undue influence, and consequently were denied reinstatement. The Labour Court held that the VSS was thrust upon them a…

The State of Rajasthan advertised recruitment for Teacher Grade III (Level I & II) in 2013, requiring candidates to possess the prescribed qualifications as on the last date of application. Respondent Trilok Ram, who was still completing the mandatory B.S.T.C. qualification, applied based on a High Court order and late…

The appellant, a long‑serving employee of Idukki District Co‑operative Bank, retired on 31 January 2007. Although he expressed willingness to join the State Co‑operative Bank and District Co‑operative Bank Employees Self‑Financing Pension Scheme 2005, the bank withheld his pension records, citing pending disciplinary p…

The appellant, Pam Developments Private Ltd., was awarded a sum of Rs.2.87 crore by an arbitrator in a dispute with the State of West Bengal over a highway repair contract, but the award remained unpaid. The State filed a Section 34 petition challenging the award and later sought a stay of its operation under the amend…

The Tamil Nadu government, after receiving a complaint from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Commissioner, ordered on 01.08.2018 that all idol‑theft investigations being handled by the Idol Wing of the CID be transferred to the CBI. The Madras High Court quashed that order and, under Article 226, appointed…