Judgments of 2023

The Delhi Development Authority appealed against a Delhi High Court order that held the acquisition of a 3,500‑hectare parcel of land had lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 because compensation had not been paid. T…

The Union of India appealed against orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal and the Delhi High Court that had equated Junior Design Officers (JDOs) with Civilian Technical Officers (CTOs) and fixed the JDO pay scale at Rs.7500-12000, the same as CTOs, under the Fifth Central Pay Commission. The respondents, the I…

The appellant Vahitha was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly strangling her five‑year‑old daughter in the house of her mother‑in‑law. The prosecution relied on the testimony of the mother‑in‑law, two other family members, and two independent neighbours who saw the appellant near the child's body, as well as …

Pawan Kumar was convicted of murder and attempt to murder (IPC ss.302, 307 read with s.34) and sentenced to life imprisonment and seven years rigorous imprisonment. He contended that he was a juvenile at the time of the offence (01‑12‑1995) and sought the benefit of the Juvenile Justice Act. The trial court and High Co…

The Supreme Court examined the approval of a resolution plan for ACIL Ltd., where the Committee of Creditors (CoC) had approved a plan with an 88.56% majority after multiple revisions. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had stayed the plan and ordered a re‑valuation of ACIL's assets by the Official Liquidator, a …

The case arose from an altercation between two families in Jahangir Puri, Delhi, after which Babu Ram (non‑appellant) fetched a licensed gun and fired indiscriminately from a roof, killing two persons and injuring twenty‑six others. The appellants – Sunil, Shri Krishan and Ravinder – were convicted under Sections 302 a…

The appellant, Sudesh Kumar Goyal, qualified in the 2007 selection process for the Haryana Superior Judicial Service under the direct recruitment quota, securing the 14th position in the merit list, but was not appointed as only 13 posts were filled. He contended that the vacancy created by the resignation of a selecte…

The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) repealed the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA) but saved prosecutions for offences under sections 56 and 57 of FERA if cognizance was taken within two years of FEMA's commencement. An Enforcement Officer appointed under FERA filed a complaint on 11 February 20…

The appellant, a Sub Registrar, was convicted under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) r/w 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for allegedly demanding and accepting Rs.1500 as gratification. The complainant had died before trial, and the prosecution relied on pre‑trap and post‑trap witnesses and documentary evidence t…

Batliboi Environmental Engineers Ltd (BEEL) entered into a turnkey contract with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) to construct a sewage water reclamation plant. The project was delayed, work was 80% complete and BEEL abandoned it, later claiming damages for overheads, profit, idle machinery and other losses. …

The appellant Suresh Ramteke sought specific performance of a sale deed against the respondents Sumanbai Petkar, alleging that the respondents failed to execute the deed despite his readiness and payment of consideration. The trial court and the first appellate court upheld the appellant's claim, finding that the respo…

The petitioner, convicted of murder and robbery under Sections 302 and 392 IPC, had been in actual imprisonment for over 26 years and had served a total sentence of 35 years including 8 years of remission. He repeatedly sought premature release, and the Jail Advisory Board recommended his release three times, but the K…

South Eastern Coalfields Ltd, which operates coal mines in Madhya Pradesh, challenged the levy of a terminal tax by the municipal council on the basis that municipal statutes cannot apply to Scheduled Areas. The company argued that Article 243ZC of the Constitution excludes Part IXA (municipalities) from Scheduled Area…

The borrowers defaulted on a loan secured by a mortgage over land in Navi Mumbai, prompting Union Bank of India to initiate SARFAESI proceedings and eventually conduct a public auction. The appellant, CELIR LLP, was the highest bidder, paid the full bid amount, and received a sale confirmation, but the bank withheld th…

The case concerned the kidnapping and murder of 15‑year‑old Ajit Pal, for which three relatives – Rajesh Yadav, Raja Yadav and Om Prakash Yadav – were convicted and sentenced to death (two of them) and life imprisonment based largely on circumstantial evidence and confessions recorded before they were formally accused.…

The State of Punjab appealed the High Court's acquittal of Kewal Krishan, who had been convicted for murder under Section 302 IPC. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence: the deceased was last seen with the accused on 10‑12‑1998, the body was discovered on 12‑12‑1998, an alleged extra‑judicial confession to …

The appellant Bank of Baroda sought to overturn a High Court order that had restored a trial court decree appointing the respondent, Baljit Singh, on compassionate grounds. The respondent's father, a bank employee, died in 1999 and the 1998 compassionate appointment scheme required that the family’s monthly income be l…

The petitioners, Anoop Bartaria and World Trade Park Ltd., challenged an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and a prosecution complaint filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), arguing that they lacked knowledge that the funds they received were proceeds of crime and that such knowledge …

The appellants were convicted for kidnapping, ransom, and murder of an 18‑year‑old victim, and were sentenced by the trial court to life imprisonment without remission for 30 years, a sentence affirmed by the Delhi High Court. The Supreme Court examined whether a trial court can impose a "special" or fixed‑term sentenc…

The appellants, Dakkata Balaram Reddy and Chinapana Gopi, were convicted for the murder of Vetcha Kesava Rao's son and wife and for robbery of gold ornaments and cash, based largely on circumstantial evidence and the recovery of stolen property from their possession. The prosecution presented testimony of three indepen…

The appellant, Nagaraj Reddy, was convicted of murder and attempt to murder under Sections 302 and 341 IPC based primarily on the testimony of his deceased brother, PW‑1, an interested witness who admitted prior enmity between the parties. The trial court and High Court upheld the conviction despite the lack of any eye…

The appellants, successors of the original landlords, sued the tenant Janardhan Subajirao Wide for possession of a hotel premises leased under a deed that expressly prohibited assignment of the business. The tenant first executed a partnership deed with Krishna B. Shetty and subsequently executed an assignment agreemen…

M/s A.R. Polymers Pvt. Ltd., a footwear manufacturer, sold shoes in bulk to military and paramilitary institutions and affixed MRP stickers to claim tax benefits under Notification No.12/2012‑CE and Section 4(A) of the Central Excise Act, 1944, which are available only for retail sales. The Central Excise authorities i…

During bail proceedings of a police officer (Respondent No.1) under Section 439 Cr.PC, the Karnataka High Court made adverse remarks against three appellants – a senior IPS officer (Appellant No.2) and a district collector (Appellant No.3) – who had no lis in the bail matter, and also directed the CBI to investigate th…

The Supreme Court examined whether orders of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) are amenable to writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution. The Union of India contended that Section 14 of the AFT Act and Article 227(4) barred High Courts from exercising such jurisdiction, relying on the decision in Union of I…

The petitioner, Sundar, was convicted of kidnapping and murdering a seven‑year‑old child and sentenced to death by the trial court, a decision affirmed by the High Court and the Supreme Court. He filed a review petition alleging errors in the evidence, especially the admissibility of call‑detail records (CDRs) without …

The Odisha Administrative Tribunal (OAT) was created in 1986 under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, but was abolished by a Union Government notification dated 2 August 2019, issued under Section 21 of the General Clauses Act in conjunction with Section 4(2) of the same Act, after the State of Odisha requested it…

The State of Gujarat appealed a High Court order that had directed it to continue grant-in-aid payments for the salary of the principal of a Jain minority‑run school beyond the age of superannuation. The principal, having turned 58, was initially allowed to serve up to 60, but a further extension was denied. The High C…

The appellants and respondents entered into a 2017 joint venture for a hospital, each contributing a Rs 10 crore interest‑free loan. In 2019 the respondents bid for the appellants' 50% shareholding, agreeing via email on a consideration of Rs 36.75 crore, which the parties argued did not include the loan amount. The re…

The petitioners Yogesh Upadhyay and Shakti Buildcon faced six complaint cases under Sections 138 and 142 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, filed by Atlanta Limited for dishonoured cheques relating to a single purchase transaction. Two of the cases were instituted in Nagpur because the cheques were presented through a …

The deceased Rukseena died by suicide after alleged dowry harassment, leading her brother to file an FIR against her husband, his mother, and the husband’s father‑in‑law, sister‑in‑law and brother‑in‑law. The investigating agency found no incriminating material against the three relatives and only charged the husband a…

The dispute concerned 15 acres of land in Sy. No. 3, where the plaintiff claimed title based on a sale deed from the vendor, while the defendant relied on occupancy rights granted to his predecessor under the Mysore (Personal & Miscellaneous) Inam Abolition Act, 1954. The vendor had applied for occupancy under section …

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

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

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

The appellant, Moturu Nalini Kanth, filed a suit as a minor claiming absolute title to the properties of the deceased Venkubayamma based on a registered will dated 03.05.1982 and a registered adoption deed dated 20.04.1982. The trial court upheld the suit, but the Andhra Pradesh High Court reversed the decision, holdin…

The Supreme Court examined a series of appeals concerning the classification of tobacco products as either ‘chewing tobacco’ (CET SH 2403 9910) or ‘zarda/jarda scented tobacco’ (CET SH 2403 9930) and the consequent duty liability under the Central Excise Act, 1944. The Revenue argued that the assessee deliberately re‑c…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal against the grant of regular bail to the accused (Respondent No.1) in a murder case involving sections 109, 120B, 201, 302, 450 and 454 IPC. After the bail was granted, key witnesses – the mother, sister and father of the deceased – turned hostile within twenty days, raising concern…

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

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

The Tamil Nadu government issued a notification banning the manufacture, storage, sale and use of "one‑time use and throwaway plastics", which included reinforced paper cups (plastic‑coated teacups) and non‑woven polypropylene bags. The associations representing manufacturers of these products challenged the ban, alleg…

The Supreme Court examined a batch of appeals arising from the Telangana, Gujarat and Maharashtra High Courts concerning the Constitution (101st Amendment) Act, 2016 which introduced GST and created Article 246A. The Court held that Section 19 of the Amendment is a transitional provision allowing states and Parliament …

The suit was filed in 1982 by Urmila Devi to declare a sale deed void and claim possession of land. After her death in 2007, multiple applications were filed to substitute a legal representative, with Manoj Kumar Jain initially approved, later withdrawn, and Yashpal Jain seeking substitution. The trial court allowed Ya…

The appellant, Mumtaz Yarud Dowla Wakf, owned a property that was leased to the respondent hotel for 33 years, which expired in 1999. After the lease ended, the appellant sued the respondents before the Wakf Tribunal for ejectment and possession, obtaining a decree in 2002. During execution of the decree, the responden…

The appellant, a substitute teacher appointed in 1989, sought to be absorbed as an Assistant Teacher in the Higher Secondary Section and to receive continuity of service. The High Court had denied both reliefs. The Supreme Court held that his claim for absorption as an Assistant Teacher was barred by constructive res j…

The appellant purchased a two‑acre property in 1963 from Puliyankaladi, who had earlier acquired it through a registered sale deed (Exhibit A1) dated 27‑08‑1928. The trial court and the first appellate court held that the certified copy of Exhibit A1, a public document, was admissible as secondary evidence to prove the…

The appellant, a Jharkhand MLA, was charged with accepting a bribe to vote for a candidate in a Rajya Sabha election, but she did not cast the alleged bribe‑influenced vote. She sought quashing of the criminal proceedings on the ground of immunity under Article 194(2) of the Constitution. The High Court rejected the pl…

The respondent, Bhupendra Yadav, applied for a constable post in the Madhya Pradesh police and truthfully disclosed in his verification form that he had been tried for offences under IPC and the POCSO Act, but was acquitted by the trial court. The Superintendent of Police deemed him unfit on the ground of moral turpitu…

The appellant, an agriculturist, struck the deceased with a hoe during a verbal altercation over a pathway, causing a head injury that led to death. The trial court convicted him of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 Part I and sentenced him to ten years' rigorous imprisonment. The High Court a…

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

The case involved an appeal by Shatrughan against his conviction for murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for the death of his nephew Jagat Ram. The prosecution's case relied mainly on the testimony of the deceased's uncle, who claimed to have heard the victim shout that Shatrughan was assaulting him with …

The Bar Council of India filed an application seeking Supreme Court direction to constitute Grievance Redressal Committees (GRC) at High Courts and, where appropriate, at District Courts to address genuine grievances of advocates and prevent illegal strikes. The Court reiterated that no member of the Bar may go on stri…

Charan Singh, the husband of the deceased Chhilo Kaur, was convicted under Sections 304B, 498A and 201 of the IPC for allegedly killing his wife over dowry demands. The trial court sentenced him to ten years' rigorous imprisonment under 304B, two years each under 498A and 201, which the High Court later reduced the 304…

The appellants, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd. and another, entered into power purchase agreements with Adani Power (Mundra) Ltd. for supply of electricity. Adani Power claimed compensation under the "change in law" provision of the agreements, citing the 2007 New Coal Distribution Policy and a 2013 Coal India L…

The appellant, a chartered accountant, was arrested in September 2022 after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed an information report and a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money‑Laundering Act (PMLA) alleging his involvement in a fraudulent Global Depository Receipt (GDR) scheme that misappropriated fu…

Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd. and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd. (collectively, Haryana Utilities) had entered Power Purchase Agreements with Adani Power Mundra Ltd. (APML) for 1,424 MW of power. APML claimed relief under the "Change in Law" clause of the PPAs, alleging a shortfall of domestic coal cau…

The appellants, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd, entered into PPAs with Adani Power (Mundra) Ltd for 1424 MW of capacity. After the Ministry of Coal introduced the SHAKTI Policy in 2017, which altered the assured coal quantity (ACQ) entitlement, Adani Power claimed a shor…

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. (MSEDCL) and ADANI Power Maharashtra Ltd. (APML) entered into four long‑term power purchase agreements. APML claimed compensation for a "change in law" after the Ministry of Coal introduced the New Coal Distribution Policy 2013 and later the SHAKTI Policy, which alter…

The appellant, a former Deputy Commissioner of Police and licensing officer, ordered the removal of extra seats in the Uphaar cinema in 1979‑80 following a revocation of a prior notification. After the 1997 fire that killed 59 people, the CBI filed a closure report finding no criminal act by the appellant, which the ma…

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

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) appealed against the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity’s (APTEL) order that held the deallocation of the Lohara Coal Blocks was a ‘Change in Law’ event under the Power Project Agreements (PPAs) and entitled Adani Power Maharashtra Ltd (APML) to restitutio…

The Supreme Court examined a batch of appeals arising from Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) between GMR Warora Energy Ltd. (the generator) and various distribution companies, challenging the classification of several post‑cut‑off charges as ‘Change in Law’ events and the computation of carrying cost interest. The Court…

The appellant, GPSK Capital Pvt. Ltd. (formerly Mantri Finance Ltd.), sought exemption from SEBI registration fees on the ground that it had acquired the Calcutta Stock Exchange membership of individual broker Srikant Mantri and claimed continuity of fee payment under paragraph 4 of Schedule III of the SEBI (Stock Brok…

The appellants, landholders whose property was acquired by the Greater Noida Authority, challenged the classification of owners as "Pushtaini" and "Gair‑Pushtaini" which resulted in differential compensation. The Supreme Court held that the classification was not authorized by the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 or the Utta…

The case concerned the recruitment of Supervisor Instructor posts in Gujarat where the Departmental Selection Committee, after publishing results, reduced the cut‑off marks to accommodate candidates under horizontal reservations (women, ex‑servicemen, physically challenged) by treating them as vertical reservations. Th…

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

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

The ESI Corporation issued demand notices to M/s Radhika Theatre for ESI contributions after the theatre stopped paying contributions in 1989, arguing that the amendment to Section 1(6) of the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948 (effective 20 Oct 1989) made every establishment liable irrespective of employee count. Th…

The State of Odisha owned certain lands that were acquired by the Central Government under the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957. The Central Government, exercising power under s.11(1), directed that the rights in those lands vest in Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, a Government company. The State issu…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had taken possession of land in 1990 and a remaining portion in 2007 under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. Respondents filed a writ petition seeking a declaration that the acquisition proceedings had deemed to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Tr…

The petitioner filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a direction that all State governments upload copies of chargesheets filed under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code on their websites, invoking the transparency principle established in Youth Bar Association of India v. Union of India. The petition r…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) appealed against a Delhi High Court order that declared land acquisition proceedings under the 1894 Act as deemed to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, because possession…

The land in question was acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 in 1964, with possession taken and compensation deposited by 1967. Respondent No.1, who was not the recorded owner, filed a writ petition claiming that the acquisition had lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency…

The case concerned land acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 where a notification was issued in 1965, an award passed in 1981 and possession taken by the beneficiary department on 23 September 1981. Compensation could not be ascertained due to a torn map, and the original owners filed a writ petition in 2014 s…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had taken possession of land (Khasra No. 28) on 21 March 2007 by drawing a panchnama and preparing a possession report under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. Petitioners Bhagi Singh and others filed a writ petition seeking a declaration that the acquisition proceedings had lapsed un…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) acquired land under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, with a notification dated 27‑06‑1996 and an award dated 22‑06‑1999. Possession of the land was taken by the Land Acquisition Collector on 31‑12‑2013 and handed over to the requisition agency, with a panchnama drawn at the time. Th…

The Government of NCT of Delhi appealed a Delhi High Court order that declared the acquisition of certain land to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 because compensation had not been paid. The land had been no…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) acquired land under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, with award in 1992 and possession taken in 2007. The original writ petitioner, Shyamo, claimed a one‑twelfth share but was not the recorded owner, and the High Court held that the acquisition had lapsed under Section 24(2) of the …

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had taken possession of land in 2007 under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, but the High Court held that the acquisition proceedings had lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 becau…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) acquired land in 1964, passed the award in 1967 and took possession by drawing a panchnama, while depositing the compensation amount with the Reference Court the same year. In 2017 the original landowners filed a writ petition claiming that the acquisition had lapsed under Section …

The Government of NCT of Delhi appealed a Delhi High Court order that held land acquisition proceedings had lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 because compensation was not paid, even though possession of the land h…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had initiated land acquisition proceedings under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, but compensation was not paid to the original landowners. A subsequent purchaser, respondent No.1, filed a writ petition seeking a declaration that the acquisition had deemed to lapse under Section 24(…

The Government of NCT of Delhi appealed against a Delhi High Court order that declared the land acquisition proceedings for a parcel of land to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, relying on the Pune Municipal…

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

The appellant, a third wife of a deceased MLA from the Mishmi tribe, filed a nomination for a 2019 assembly election and marked ‘not applicable’ in Form‑26 for the spouse‑property column. The respondent challenged the nomination, alleging non‑disclosure of the deceased husband’s assets, which he claimed constituted a s…

Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) obtained a ₹400 crore loan from HDFC Bank, securing the facility by assigning lease‑rental receivables to the bank under a Master Facility Agreement, Assignment Agreement and related escrow documents. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) issued an…

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

M/s Unibros was awarded a construction contract by All India Radio, but the project was delayed by about 42.5 months due to the employer's failure to provide site and drawings. The arbitrator awarded the contractor Rs. 1.44 crore as loss of profit based on Hudson's formula, despite the contractor providing no credible …

The appellant, Ruchir Rastogi, filed an FIR alleging that his brother Pankaj Rastogi, a co‑partner in a family HUF, illegally removed gold, silver, diamonds and other assets from a jointly‑run shop in violation of an interim injunction ordered under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. The High Court had quashed the F…

The Central Warehousing Corporation sought acquisition of 80 kanals of land in Naraingarh, Ambala, and the Land Acquisition Collector initially fixed compensation at Rs.72.31 per square yard based on market rates as of the 2000 notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The respondents filed a refe…

The appellants, legal heirs of a landlord, sought possession of leased agricultural lands for personal cultivation after the landlord’s death. The landlord had issued a termination notice only for Survey No. 291, but the tenants occupied both Survey No. 291 and Survey No. 290/1‑2. Lower authorities differed on whether …

Indrakunwar was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly killing a newborn child she was said to have delivered and then thrown into a pond. The prosecution’s case rested on circumstantial evidence and the accused's statement under Section 313 CrPC, but failed to establish any relationship between the accused and …

The appellant, Naveen (alias Ajay), was convicted and sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a three‑month‑old girl under multiple provisions of the IPC and the POCSO Act. The trial was completed in fifteen days, during which a legal‑aid counsel was appointed only hours before the case began and was not given su…

Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. entered into a Rs 1566‑crore contract with Afcons, which later gave rise to arbitration. The three‑member tribunal initially fixed the arbitrators' hearing fee at Rs 1,00,000 per session, but later unilaterally raised it to Rs 2,00,000. Chennai Metro challenged the fee increase, arguing that the…

Mrs. Sunita, a road‑accident victim, alleged that a forced nasotracheal intubation (NI) at Suretech Hospital caused Grade‑IV subglottic stenosis, voice loss and other complications, seeking compensation under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) held the NI proc…

The case involved the suicide by self‑immolation of Akkamahadevi, married to the accused, who was alleged to have subjected her to mental and physical cruelty for dowry. The trial court convicted the accused under IPC sections 498A, 304B (read with s.34), and sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, based largely…

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

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

The deceased, employed as a truck driver by the second respondent, died in a road accident and his wife, son and parents claimed compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923. The Deputy Labour Commissioner‑cum‑Commissioner awarded Rs.4,31,671 with 6% interest, but the claimants challenged the award on the gr…

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

The appellant, a duly elected MLA, challenged an election petition filed by the first respondent that alleged improper acceptance of his nomination papers and corrupt practices. The petition relied on representations to the Returning Officer and alleged misuse of government vehicles and suppression of Election Commissi…

The appellant, Ramesh Chandra Vaishya, was charged under sections 323, 504 IPC and section 3(1)(x) of the SC/ST Act for allegedly assaulting and verbally abusing the complainant over a water‑drainage dispute. Two FIRs were filed – one by the complainant and a second by the appellant after the police initially refused t…

BEST issued a tender for 1,400 electric buses with a mandatory technical requirement that the buses must travel 200 km on a single charge in actual conditions with 80% state of charge. Tata Motors submitted a bid guaranteeing the range only under standard test conditions (AIS 040), which the High Court held to be a mat…

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

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

The Central GST Delhi‑III (the revenue) appealed against Delhi International Airport Ltd., contending that the User Development Fee (UDF) collected from passengers under Section 22A of the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994, was a taxable service liable to service tax. The Court examined the nature of the fee, the s…

A six‑year‑old girl was sexually assaulted, murdered and her body dumped in a drain. Prakash Nishad @ Kewat Zinak Nishad was arrested on suspicion and convicted under IPC sections 376, 377, 302 and 201, receiving a death sentence for murder. On appeal, the Supreme Court found serious procedural lapses: the appellant’s …

The Supreme Court examined a batch of appeals concerning whether electricity arrears of a previous owner can be recovered from a subsequent owner who acquired the premises through auction or other transfers. It held that the duty of a distribution licensee to supply electricity under Section 43 of the Electricity Act, …

The Gwalior Development Authority (GDA) invited bids in 1997 to lease a plot of 27,887.50 sq. meters under a transport city scheme. The highest bidder, Bhanu Pratap Singh, was allotted the land and required to pay the consideration in four instalments by October 1999, but he completed payment only in August 2005. The p…

The Delhi Development Authority appealed a Delhi High Court order that declared the acquisition of a parcel of land to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 because compensation had not been paid. The High Court …

SAP Labs India Private Limited and several other assessees challenged the Income Tax Officer's assessment on transfer pricing grounds, contending that the arm's length price (ALP) determined by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) was not final and could be reviewed under Section 260A of the Income Tax Act, 1961. T…

The Land Acquisition Collector appealed a Delhi High Court order that declared the acquisition of a parcel of land to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 because compensation had not been paid. The High Court h…

The appellant, John Anthonisamy, was convicted under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of a taxi driver and the subsequent concealment of the body. The prosecution’s case relied on circumstantial evidence, including the exhumation of the victim’s body from a location disclosed by the appellan…

Gajanand Sharma, an employee of Aadarsh Siksha Parishad Samiti, was terminated after a departmental enquiry under the Rajasthan Non‑Governmental Educational Institutions Act, 1989. The Rajasthan Educational Institutions Tribunal set aside the termination, holding that prior approval of the Director of Education require…

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

The dispute arose from an ex‑parte arbitral award dated 12‑03‑1998 in a matter concerning specific performance and land‑plot amalgamation. The respondents sought to set aside the award under Section 34 of the Arbitration & Conciliation Act, 1996, invoking the public‑policy ground and sought to adduce additional evidenc…

The appellant, managing director of Totem Infrastructure Ltd., challenged the admission of a Section 7 Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) application filed by State Bank of India (SBI) before the NCLT, arguing that the claim was barred by limitation and the doctrine of election. The banks had earlier obtained three r…

The respondent, a tenant, stopped paying rent in February 2005 and was served a notice to vacate in October 2013, after which the landlord filed an eviction suit. The tenant filed an application under Sections 7(1) and 7(2) of the West Bengal Premises Tenancy Act, 1997, but the trial court rejected it because it was fi…

Abhishek Sharma was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC for allegedly setting his colleague Mandeep Kaur on fire after a quarrel. The prosecution's case rested on four dying declarations made by the victim to various police officers, a doctor, and her mother. The Supreme Court examined the admissibility and relia…

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

The Supreme Court examined whether Shrimabai, who cohabited with late Subedar Pundalik Bhave and bore two children, was entitled to his family pension after his death. Bhave had married Shrimabai while still married to his first wife Anusuya, but later obtained a divorce from Anusuya in 1990 and had the service record …

The dispute arose from a 1986 contract under which MMTC was to purchase 60,000 metric tons of US‑origin sulphur annually from H.J. Baker & Bros. MMTC failed to lift the agreed quantity for the first half of 1992, citing a government de‑canalisation order, and later for the balance period. Baker invoked arbitration and …

The case involves a double murder in which accused Prabhunath Singh, a sitting MP, was originally acquitted along with other co‑accused. The Supreme Court, on appeal, took judicial notice of the Patna High Court's Habeas Corpus judgment, treating it as a public document, and considered the accused's subsequent conduct …

The appellant sought redemption of a mortgage, alleging that a 1973 sale deed coupled with a reconveyance agreement constituted a mortgage by conditional sale. The sale deed transferred absolute ownership of a plot for Rs 5,000, while the reconveyance agreement allowed the vendor five years to repurchase the property o…

The Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI), as a secured creditor, sought to enforce its charge over imported machinery that had been stored in a private bonded warehouse and remained unpaid of customs duty. The company was wound up on 1 December 2003, and the Official Liquidator applied for possession of the good…

Experion Developers, the builder of the Windchants housing project, increased the sale area of apartments and demanded extra payment from the allottees. The allottees (respondents) filed a consumer complaint seeking a refund of the excess amount, and the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) ordered t…

The petition arose from the hardships faced by a child victim of sexual offence who, despite the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and its 2020 Rules, was not provided with an effective support person. The Court examined the statutory definition, duties and entitlements of …

The complainant filed an FIR for offences under the IPC and later applied under Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to summon several persons whose names were not on the charge‑sheet. The trial court issued a summons, which the High Court affirmed. The appellants challenged the summons, arguing that, per …

The appellant Yuvaprakash was accused of kidnapping a 17‑year‑old girl M, solemnising a marriage with her and having sexual intercourse. The victim’s statement under Section 164 CrPC claimed she eloped voluntarily and was in love with the appellant. The trial court convicted him under Section 6 of the POCSO Act, Sectio…

The dispute concerned a 183‑bigha parcel of land in Haripur, Nainital, originally leased in 1924 under the Government Grants Act of 1895. The lease was allegedly transferred by a 1947 sale deed, but the deed’s nature—whether it conveyed title or merely lease‑hold rights—was contested. The respondents claimed ownership …

The respondents obtained an ex‑parte decree for ejectment and recovery of rent from the appellants. The appellants filed, on the same day, an application under Order IX Rule 13 of the CPC and an application under Section 17 of the Provincial Small Cause Courts Act, 1887, seeking permission to deposit or furnish securit…

The case involves the murder of Captain Manmohan Singh Virdi, whose body was discovered in a pool of blood. A chargesheet was filed against respondents 1 (Hussain Mohammed Shattaf) and 2 (Waheeda Hussain Shattaf) after an investigation that included statements, psychological profiling, polygraph and BEOS tests. The tri…

The appellant, Sebil Elanjimpally, was charged under Section 20(b)(ii)(C) of the NDPS Act and had been in judicial custody for nearly three years. He applied for bail for the second time, but the High Court rejected the application, stating that a co‑accused who had been released on bail had failed to surrender. The ap…

The appellants, Chanchalpati Das and Madhu Pandit Das, senior leaders of ISKCON Bengaluru, were charged under IPC sections 468, 471, 406 and 120B for alleged theft and criminal breach of trust of a luxury bus belonging to the ISKCON Kolkata branch. The complaint was filed in 2009, eight years after the alleged incident…

The father of the deceased lodged an FIR after finding his son's body in a forest, alleging that the deceased had been with two friends. The trial court convicted the two accused under Sections 302, 34 and 201 of the IPC and Sections 4 and 25 of the Arms Act, relying mainly on the testimony of two chance witnesses who …

The Government of NCT of Delhi appealed against a Delhi High Court order that had allowed a writ petition filed by Ravinder Kumar Jain, who purchased land in 2003, invoking Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 to claim that the e…

The Salem Muslim Burial Ground Protection Committee claimed that a parcel of land (Zamin Survey No.5108) in Salem was a Muslim burial ground and therefore a wakf, seeking to prevent its alienation under the Tamil Nadu Estate (Abolition & Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1948. Various private claimants had earlier sought …

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka) Amendment Acts of 2017, which sought to legalise traditional bovine sports such as Jallikattu, Kambala and Bullock Cart Race by introducing specific rules and notifications. Petitioners…

The parties entered into a 2012 contract for the supply of sub‑machine guns, after which the Ministry of Defence encashed a bank guarantee and deducted liquidated damages in September 2016. The petitioner claimed the dispute should be resolved by arbitration and, after a series of bilateral discussions, issued a notice…

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

The father of the appellants executed a sale agreement to sell 0.90 acres of land to the plaintiff for Rs.11.88 lakh, receiving an advance of Rs.4 lakh and obligating himself to demarcate the land within three months before the balance could be paid. After his death, the appellants failed to demarcate the land, and the…

The appellants, supervisory employees of the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd., claimed double overtime allowance under Section 59(1) of the Factories Act, 1948 for work performed between 1988 and 2005. Their claim arose while they were central government servants holding civil posts, and therefor…

The proprietorship firm Isolators & Isolators, represented by Mrs. Sandhya Mishra, was issued cancellation orders, a show‑cause notice for debarment, and later orders imposing a 10% penalty and a three‑year debarment for alleged non‑supply of transformers under two purchase orders of MPMKVVCL. The firm contended that t…

The husband filed a divorce petition in the Family Court at Mangaluru, Karnataka. The wife, a permanent resident of Canada now residing in Mumbai, filed a transfer petition seeking to move the proceedings to the Family Court at Bandra, Mumbai. She argued that traveling to Mangaluru would be difficult, costly, and would…

The appellant, Ansar Ahmad, alleged that his son was killed in a contract murder orchestrated by two respondents, Subhash Yadav and Rajesh Vikram Singh. The High Court had granted regular bail to both respondents despite serious charges under multiple IPC sections and the Explosive Substances Act, and despite evidence …

The appellant bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, had mortgaged a suit property to Frontline Corporation Ltd. after the latter defaulted on loans. The bank issued notices under Section 13 of the SARFAESI Act and took possession, while the borrower filed a civil suit for specific performance of a settlement agreement and obtained…

Anita Merchant booked three flats from Suneja Towers Private Limited, paid 60% of the price, but the builder failed to deliver possession even after the agreed period, leading her to file consumer complaints. The District Forum dismissed the complaints, but the State Consumer Commission reversed the decision, ordering …

The appellant's wife had subscribed to chit‑funds and furnished two blank cheques as security; when the cheques were later presented for encashment they were dishonoured, leading to criminal complaints under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act and parallel civil suits based on promissory notes. The trial cour…

The appellant, Mrs. Kalyani Rajan, filed a consumer complaint alleging that her husband, who underwent neurosurgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, died of a heart attack because the hospital failed to provide proper post‑operative care, specifically by shifting him to a private room instead of the ICU. The National C…

The Supreme Court of India considered a batch of petitions seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, and other laws. The Court held that there is no fundamental right to marry under the Constitution, and the Special Marriage Act is not unconstitutional for excluding same-sex c…

The land owners challenged the compensation awarded by the Punjab and Haryana Improvement Trust for lands acquired under the Punjab Town Improvement Act, alleging that the High Court erred by applying a one‑third deduction for development charges and by ignoring recent sale deeds of shop premises. The High Court had en…

Kishan Chand Jain filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a direction that public authorities implement the proactive disclosure obligations under Section 4 of the Right to Information Act, 2005. The Union of India responded by detailing the various guidelines, task forces, and memoranda issued by the Department…

Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (the appellant) entered into a lump‑sum contract with Chenab Bridge Project Undertaking (the respondent) for constructing a high‑altitude railway bridge. Disputes arose over increased entry tax and toll tax during execution, leading to a standing arbitral tribunal which rejected the r…

The plaintiffs, illiterate landowners, executed a limited Power of Attorney (PoA) with the defendant to develop their land, but the defendant surreptitiously added clauses allowing him to sell the property and executed sale deeds on the day of registration. The trial court dismissed the suit, accepting the PoA as genui…

The appellants, a group of social clubs including Secunderabad Club, deposited surplus funds in various banks, some of which were corporate members of the clubs, and earned interest on those fixed deposits. The central issue was whether such interest income fell within the ambit of the principle of mutuality and theref…

The management of Hind Filters Ltd. applied to the Labour Court for permission to retrench workers, but the Labour Commissioner referred the dispute to the Labour Court despite the establishment employing more than 100 workmen, which under Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, would require referral to an In…

Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (PVVNL) supplied electricity to Raman Ispat Pvt Ltd, which defaulted on payments. PVVNL attached the debtor's assets and, after the corporate insolvency resolution failed, the matter proceeded to liquidation under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). PVVNL contended that secti…

In 1987 three police constables were alleged to have shot dead Raj Kumar Baliyan during a night patrol. The prosecution relied on three eyewitnesses, ballistic reports and an autopsy that indicated a .12 bore weapon, not the rifles issued to the accused. The trial court acquitted the accused because the eyewitnesses co…

The appellant, a police guard, was carrying a semi‑automatic carbine when he was asked by a Sub‑Inspector to stop a constable from using the police telephone. During a scuffle the weapon became entangled in the appellant's belt chain, causing an accidental discharge of five rounds that struck the constable, who later d…

Indra Bai, a loading and unloading labourer, suffered a severe injury to her left arm while loading poles, resulting in loss of grip. The Workmen’s Compensation Commissioner, relying on a medical board certificate, held that she was permanently unfit for labour and awarded compensation on the basis of total disablement…

The State of Gujarat appealed against a Gujarat High Court order that had directed the GST authority to complete an adjudicatory process within eight weeks and had granted the respondents protection from arrest after they were served summons under Section 69 of the CGST Act, 2017 for interrogation. The respondents, fea…

The case concerned disciplinary proceedings against a senior employee of Indian Oil Corporation for alleged tampering of bid documents in a refinery tender. An inquiry found that the employee's signature appeared on a altered quotation, leading to a penalty of withholding five annual increments. The employee challenged…

The Supreme Court entertained an application by M/s. Jerlyn Capital LLC Dubai seeking modification of its earlier order dated 09‑05‑2023, which had set aside a requirement to furnish a bank guarantee and allowed the appellant to withdraw Rs.38.52 crore with 4% simple interest from 08‑05‑2006. The appellant submitted ea…

The respondent, Vedic Resorts, held two insurance policies covering its resort buildings. A mob of 200‑250 persons entered the resort after sheltering a criminal gang, causing damage assessed at Rs. 202.216 lakhs. The insurer, National Insurance Co., denied the claim invoking Clause V(d) of the policy, alleging the los…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigated a trap operation in which Additional Commissioner of Income Tax Santosh Karnani allegedly demanded and accepted a bribe of Rs 30 lakhs to influence a tax assessment of Safal Construction. The complainant recorded the demand and the subsequent acknowledgment of paym…

The plaintiff Jagtar Singh claimed a right of pre-emption as a co‑sharer in a joint khewat when the owners Jhabbar Singh sold portions of the land without giving notice. While the trial court and the first appellate court held that a partition order dated 31‑July‑1982 by the Assistant Collector severed the joint status…

The appellant, elected as a member of the Zilla Parishad in Dhule, was disqualified after his son was awarded a road‑repair contract by the Gram Panchayat, a contract that was sanctioned and funded by the Zilla Parishad. Respondent No.3 filed an application under Sections 16(1)(i) and 40 of the Maharashtra Zilla Parish…

The State of Rajasthan appealed against a High Court order that allowed the respondent, Asharam, to summon Deputy Commissioner of Police Ajay Pal Lamba under Section 391 of the CrPC, based on a claim in his book that he had recorded a video of the crime scene a day before site maps were prepared. The Supreme Court held…

The appellant, M/s Sri Mahavir Agency, a vendor, bought packaged pan‑masala (Pan Parag) from the manufacturer M/s Kothari Pouches Ltd. and sold it to customers. Samples seized from a buyer’s premises were tested and found to be below the standards prescribed under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, leading …

The appellant, a Sub‑Registrar, was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act for demanding a Rs.500 gratification to release a registered sale deed. The prosecution relied on a trap operation and the testimony of a shadow witness, but the complainant, who was the key witness to the alleged demand, was declared …

The appellants, South Indian Bank Ltd. and others, appealed against the Kerala High Court’s orders allowing borrowers to defer loan repayment under the SARFAESI Act. The borrowers had filed writ petitions under Article 226 challenging notices issued under Sections 13(2) and 13(4) of the SARFAESI Act, even though the De…

The appellant Siju Kurian was convicted by the Karnataka High Court for murder, concealment of body, theft and cheating. The conviction rested on circumstantial evidence, the post‑mortem report establishing homicide, witnesses who saw the accused with the deceased, and a voluntary statement made by the accused that led…

The Supreme Court was approached by Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) for clarification of its earlier order permitting the corporation to move the Tree Authority to fell 84 trees in Aarey Forest for the Metro Line‑3 project. MMRCL later sought to fell 124 trees and transplant 53 trees, exceeding the author…

The State of Gujarat appealed against the Gujarat High Court's order that set aside the penalty and interest imposed on M/s. SAW PIPES Ltd. under Sections 45(6) and 47(4A) of the Gujarat Sales Tax Act, 1969. The assessee had paid tax at a 2% rate on the basis of a civil works classification, but the Assessing Officer l…

The petitioner, a disability‑rights activist, challenged the conditions imposed by the Consortium of National Law Universities for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2023, specifically the rules governing the use of scribes for persons with disabilities (PwD). He argued that the late issuance of guidelines and the re…

The Archbishop of the Syro‑Malabar Church, Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, was charged in several complaints alleging conspiracy and fraud in the disposal of church immovable property. An earlier complaint filed in a different court was dismissed under Section 203 of the CrPC for non‑prosecution. The trial court in Kak…

The appellant, a clerk‑cum‑shroff appointed on a Scheduled Tribe community certificate, served 38 years before receiving a cessation order two days before retirement, alleging his certificate was false and withholding all post‑retirement benefits except PF. The scrutiny committee’s verification took 19 years, during wh…

The State of Orissa refused to introduce a pension scheme for employees of the Orissa Khadi and Village Industries Board, citing financial hardship. Employees, through an association, obtained a writ directing the State to amend the 1960 Regulations and grant pension benefits on par with State Government employees. The…

The appellant, Vishalakshi Amma, possessed a deer horn and filed an application for a certificate of ownership under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Declaration of Wildlife Stock Rules, 2003 on 25 May 2011, well beyond the 180‑day deadline prescribed in Rule 4(2) of the Rules. The Chief Wildlife Warden reje…

The petitioner, brother of a murder victim, sought transfer of the criminal trial from West Bengal to Assam, alleging bias, witness intimidation, and procedural irregularities including a state‑issued notification to withdraw prosecution. The High Court set aside the withdrawal order and directed the trial to continue,…

Ms. X, a model, complained that the accused businessman lured her under the pretext of modelling work and raped her in a hotel room. The FIR was initially filed under Sections 354, 354‑B and 506 IPC, and later, after her supplementary statements and a medico‑legal report, Section 376 IPC (rape) was added. The High Cour…

The case concerned land acquired in 1992 for a resettlement project under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, where a consent award was passed in 1993 and compensation was offered but refused by the landowner, who also continued to cultivate the land. The landowner later sought cancellation of the acquisition, and the High…

IRCON entered into a construction contract with NBCC for a railway station‑cum‑commercial complex. NBCC failed to complete the work and the work was abandoned, prompting IRCON to terminate the contract under clause 60.1. NBCC invoked the arbitration clause; the Arbitral Tribunal held the termination under clause 60.1 i…

Icon Education Society, which runs two unaided minority institutions in Indore, was directed by the Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee (AFRC) under the Madhya Pradesh Niji Vyavsayik Shikshan Sanstha Act, 2007 to submit its fee structure and was subsequently told that the AFRC would fix its fees. The Society challen…

The case concerned primary teachers who were originally employed by the Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) and, after the expansion of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in 1999, opted to be absorbed into the PMC. The teachers recruited directly by the PMC challenged the inclusion of the ZP teachers' prior service in the senio…

The appellant, an Electricity Inspector, was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 10,000 to facilitate the installation of an electricity meter. The prosecution’s case rested mainly on the testimony of a shadow‑witness (PW‑5) and on the recovery of cash from the a…

Modi Rubber Ltd., a sick industrial company, obtained a rehabilitation scheme approved by the BIFR under the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985, which scaled down the dues of unsecured creditors, including Continental Carbon India Ltd. The Delhi High Court held that an unsecured creditor could ref…

Bhasin Infotech & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. was allotted a commercial plot in Uttar Pradesh on a 90‑year lease in 2006 and completed construction, obtaining partial and final completion certificates. The State later formulated a tourism policy in 2013, amended in 2016 to include "theme‑based malls" with incentives, but …

The petitioners, who had served as Home Guards in Odisha for 10‑15 years, filed a writ seeking payment of their Duty Call‑up Allowance (DCA) at Rs.533 per day as directed by the Supreme Court in Grah Rakshak. The Single Judge of the High Court ordered the State to implement this rate, but the Division Bench later limit…

The Government of NCT of Delhi and the Delhi Development Authority sought review of several civil appeals that had been dismissed on the basis of the Supreme Court’s decision in Pune Municipal Corporation v. Harakchand Misirimal Solanki, which interpreted Section 24(2) of the 2013 Land Acquisition Act. After the Consti…

Dipti Deodhare, a Scientist G in DRDO, was appointed on probation as Scientist H in NTRO. She was repatriated to DRDO on 12 February 2019 before completing her probation and resumed duty as Scientist G. She challenged the repatriation and sought voluntary retirement, but the Central Administrative Tribunal dismissed he…

The petitioners, who are tenants occupying certain premises, filed Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) challenging the termination of a development agreement that favored respondent No. 5, a developer. While the SLPs were pending, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) terminated that agreement and e…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Government of NCT of Delhi appealed against a Delhi High Court order that declared the acquisition of a parcel of land to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The l…

The Land & Building Department appealed a Delhi High Court order that had declared the acquisition of certain land to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, relying on the Pune Municipal Corporation decision. The…

The Government of NCT Delhi appealed a Delhi High Court order that had declared the acquisition of a parcel of land to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The High Court had relied on Pune Municipal Corporatio…

Ram Gopal, the former sarpanch of Har Gangoli, was accused of murdering his neighbour Pratap Singh after taking him on the evening of 19 December 1995; the victim was found dead the next morning. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence, including the "last seen together" theory, the short interval between the…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had taken physical possession of land on 16 July 2007 under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The Delhi High Court held that the acquisition had lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 201…

The Government of NCT Delhi appealed a Delhi High Court order that had declared the acquisition of land in Village Molarband to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, relying on the Pune Municipal Corporation dec…

The appellant, IL&FS Tamil Nadu Power Company Ltd, obtained environmental clearance (EC) for a 2x600 MW coal‑based thermal power plant under the EIA Notification, 2006. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) upheld the EC but directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) to review it based on a cumu…

The petitioners, including a prospective mayoral candidate, challenged the conduct of the first meeting of the Delhi Municipal Corporation after the 2022 elections, seeking clarification on whether members nominated under Section 3(3)(b)(i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 have voting rights in the election…