DIPAK MISRA

The appellants, legal heirs of a tenure‑holder, challenged an order dated 13‑Jan‑1975 that declared 51.29 acres of their land surplus under the Uttar Pradesh Imposition of Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1960. An appeal against that order was filed and later dismissed, but the appellants argued that the appeal had abated…

On 7 January 1984 a group of accused, including Jodhan, entered the house of the deceased and attacked the victims with lathis, farsa and handmade bombs, causing the death of the deceased. The trial court acquitted all accused, holding that the incident was a "free fight" and finding the prosecution evidence unreliable…

The accused filed an application under Section 408 of the CrPC seeking transfer of a criminal trial from one Additional Sessions Judge to another after the trial had already commenced. The Principal Sessions Judge rejected the petition, holding that he lacked jurisdiction to transfer a case once trial began. The High C…

Vinod Kumar, a domestic servant, was accused of kidnapping his employer's 3‑year‑old son for ransom. The trial court acquitted him and co‑accused Joginder, but the High Court reversed the acquittal, convicting Vinod Kumar under IPC sections 363, 364A and 109. The Supreme Court examined whether the High Court was entitl…

The respondents purchased a plot and applied to the Rajasthan Municipal Corporation for conversion of land use from residential to commercial under the Rajasthan Municipalities (Change of Land Use) Rules, 2000. The corporation approved the conversion and issued a demand notice for conversion charges of Rs.5,70,300. The…

The Supreme Court examined a challenge to two orders of the Madras High Court that had directed the Census Department to conduct a caste‑wise census, including Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in order to achieve social justice. The appellant, the Census Commissioner, was not a party to the earlier writ petition …

The landlord filed a Special Leave Petition challenging a Gujarat High Court order that had set aside an appellate decree allowing eviction of the tenant under Section 12(3)(b) of the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947. The tenant had been in arrears of rent before the suit and on the date of…

Meraj Ahmad was appointed temporarily as a Livestock Development Assistant in 1983 and was terminated in April 1984 after an FIR under Section 302 IPC was lodged against him. He was acquitted of the murder charge in October 1985 and, in February 1989, voluntarily sought a fresh appointment, expressly undertaking to for…

The appellants were convicted of murder, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy under IPC sections 302, 34, 323 and 114 based solely on the dying declaration of the victim, Champaben, who identified the accused as having set her ablaze with kerosene. The defence argued that three separate dying declarations were inc…

The petitioners Vikram Singh, Jasvir Singh and a third accused were convicted under Sections 302, 364A, 201 and 120B of the IPC and sentenced to death, with the death sentence of the female co‑accused later commuted to life imprisonment. They filed review petitions challenging the Supreme Court’s 2010 judgment on groun…

The appellant filed an FIR alleging assault and the police investigation concluded with a final report exonerating the accused. The Chief Judicial Magistrate, after a protest petition, directed "reinvestigation" of the case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBCID). The Madras High Court set aside that order, hold…

The appellant, a small‑scale exporter, obtained a Shipment Comprehensive Risk Policy from Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) and made several shipments to a US buyer. Two of the shipments were sent after the approved credit limit was exhausted and the buyer later refused to accept the documents. The appellant c…

The suit premises were originally let to the plaintiff's father‑in‑law in 1940; after his death the tenancy passed to his son Baldev, and subsequently to Baldev's wife Lalita. Upon Lalita's death, her brother Durga Prasad claimed to inherit the tenancy and resisted eviction by the landlord. The landlord filed an evicti…

The appellant, Nidhi, the owner of a non‑residential building, sought possession of the premises under Section 21(1)(a) of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972, claiming a bona‑fide requirement to house her ailing grandparents and her younger sister. The Prescribed Auth…

The Mis. Alkali Manufacturers Association of India filed a petition under the Anti‑Dumping Rules alleging that caustic soda imported from China and Korea was being dumped, leading to injury to the domestic industry. The Designated Authority (DA) investigated, found dumping, and imposed provisional anti‑dumping duties, …

Prateek Gupta (father) appealed a Delhi High Court order that directed him to hand over his five‑year‑old son Aadvik, a U.S. citizen, to his wife Shilpi Gupta (mother) after she filed a writ of habeas corpus. The father had taken the child to India in 2015 without the mother’s consent, and the mother obtained custody o…

The parties entered into a contract for the construction of a cargo ship, which later gave rise to arbitration before a former Supreme Court judge who awarded in 2009. The respondent sought to set aside the award under Sections 30 and 33 of the Arbitration Act, 1940, alleging the arbitrator’s legal misconduct, and appl…

The plaintiff claimed that a sale agreement dated 21‑06‑2004 with the defendant for a 12‑kanal land, mortgaged to a bank, was breached when the defendant failed to execute the sale deed after receiving Rs 4 lakhs as earnest money. The defendant contended that he had already sold the same land to a third party on 07‑05‑…

The State, through an Intelligence Officer of the Narcotics Control Bureau, charged Mushtaq Ahmad and Guizar Ahmad with possession of large amounts of charas (6.2 kg and 4.0 kg respectively) seized on 5 April 2004. The trial court held that the seized charas constituted a "commercial quantity" under the NDPS Act and co…

The Supreme Court of India considered the constitutional validity of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, which criminalized 'carnal intercourse against the order of nature' with any man, woman, or animal. The petitioners challenged the provision insofar as it criminalized consensual sexual acts between adults o…

The appellant, Commissioner of Commercial Tax, Uttar Pradesh, challenged the High Court's decision that bitumen emulsion manufactured by the respondent falls under Entry 22 of Schedule II of the VAT Act, which taxes "bitumen" at 4%. The respondent had earlier sought clarification on the tax rate and was taxed at 12.5% …

Dhariwal Industries Ltd filed a complaint under Sec. 200 CrPC alleging several IPC offences. After the police investigation and filing of a charge‑sheet, the accused applied for discharge under Sec. 239 CrPC. The appellant sought, orally, permission to be heard alongside the Assistant Public Prosecutor at the charge‑fr…

The appellant, a successful purchaser at a sealed‑tender sale, sought to enforce a sale certificate issued after the execution of an award under the Multi‑State Co‑operative Societies Act, 1984. The respondents, borrowers, had defaulted on a loan and the property was sold after multiple failed public auctions. The High…

Tata Chemicals sold soda ash in gunny bags and claimed that the cost of these durable, returnable bags should be excluded from the assessable value of the soda ash under Section 4(4)(d)(i) of the Central Excise Act, 1944. The revenue argued that no valid arrangement obligating buyers to return the bags to the seller ex…

The Supreme Court examined whether a letters patent appeal could be filed against an order of a Single Judge that arose from civil court proceedings or other tribunals. It held that orders of civil courts are only reviewable under Article 227 of the Constitution and therefore are not amenable to writ jurisdiction under…

The appellant, Prabhakar Vithal Golve, was convicted under Section 302 IPC for the fatal assault of a deceased man, allegedly triggered by a minor grievance over a telephonic message. The prosecution failed to establish any motive for the killing, and the evidence showed that the assault was a spontaneous reaction to t…

The appeal concerned a land‑inheritance dispute where the petitioners sought to set aside an order of the Consolidation Officer that rejected their claim to a share of land. The petitioners argued that earlier judgments in a separate proceeding involving the same parties, but concerning a different parcel of land, shou…

The deceased, Nayabha Mapbha Ker, died in a motor‑vehicle collision in 1993. His heirs filed a claim under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs 7.78 million with interest at 12% per annum; the Gujarat High Court added Rs 33,000 for loss of life, expenses and consort…

Mangla Ram, a motorcyclist, was hit by a jeep (No. RST‑4701) driven by respondent No.2, resulting in amputation of his right leg. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded compensation but reduced it on the ground that the claimant contributed to the accident by riding on the wrong side of the road. The High Court set…

The appellant, an advocate enrolled with the Bar Council of Gujarat, was subjected to disciplinary proceedings initiated by the State Bar Council after a complaint was filed. The State Bar Council failed to dispose of the complaint within the one‑year period prescribed under the Advocates Act, 1961, and consequently th…

Standard Chartered Bank filed three complaints under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act against ABG Shipyard Ltd. and several of its directors for the dishonour of cheques issued to repay a Rs.200 crore loan. The Metropolitan Magistrate issued summons to the company and the directors, but the Bombay High Cou…

Shamima Farooqui, a Muslim woman, filed an application under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure seeking maintenance after being harassed and deserted by her husband Shahid Khan, who later divorced her. The Family Court ordered Rs 2,500 per month from the date of application and Rs 4,000 per month from the da…

The appellant Jasbir Singh was convicted under Sections 399 and 402 of the IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act for allegedly planning and attempting a dacoity with firearms. The Supreme Court examined the evidence, noting the absence of independent witnesses, the fact that the investigating officer himself conducted the…

M/s Durga Projects Inc, a civil works contractor registered under the Karnataka Value Added Tax (KVAT) Act, 2003 and the Central Sales Tax Act, sought clarification from the Authority for Advance Clarification and Ruling on the tax rate applicable to works contracts before 1 April 2006. The AAR held that the rate shoul…

The appellant, S. Thangaraj, a 26‑year‑old loadman, suffered multiple fractures and complete loss of sensation below the abdomen in a motor accident on 1 August 2004. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded him Rs 11,27,359 as compensation, assessing his disability at 70% and granting interest at 12% per annum. The …

The appellant, Bharati Reddy, was elected Adhyaksha of a Zilla Panchayat after obtaining an Income and Caste Certificate from the Tahsildar. Unsuccessful candidates alleged that the certificate was fraudulently obtained, that the appellant’s affidavits contained contradictory income disclosures, and that the certificat…

The husband of the third respondent died in a motor accident caused by a collision with a truck. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded compensation but absolved United India Insurance Co. Ltd., the insurer, on the ground that the vehicle was a Light Goods Vehicle and the driver lacked a specific endorsement to dri…

The appellants sought a declaration of ownership and possession of a 23‑acre land that had been auctioned in 1966 to satisfy income‑tax arrears. The auction sale was confirmed by the Deputy Commissioner, but the appellant’s predecessor challenged the confirmation under Section 177 of the Karnataka (Mysore) Land Revenue…

The appellant, a self‑employed skilled carpenter, suffered a motor‑vehicle accident resulting in loss of use of both hands and a 90% permanent disability. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs 12,81,228 based on a monthly income of Rs 4,050, while the High Court added Rs 2,19,000; the appellant sought further e…

The appellant, a guarantor, created an equitable mortgage over his property to secure a loan that later defaulted. The bank invoked the SARFAESI Act and initiated auction proceedings, which the appellant attempted to halt by offering partial payment and filing writ petitions. The High Court stayed the sale until the ap…

The accident occurred on 22 March 2010 when a motor‑cycle, owned and driven by the appellant, collided, killing Sunil Kumar. The appellant did not possess a valid driving licence at the time; the licence he produced was found to be fake and the other licence he attempted to produce had expired and was renewed after a t…

The claimant, Ajay Kumar Mohanty, suffered a 55% temporary disability in a motor accident. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs 22,85,322 compensation, assuming permanent disability and using inconsistent income figures. The insurer appealed; the High Court reduced the award to Rs 12,00,000 without providing r…

The appellant Sitaram was elected Chairperson of a municipal corporation, but the defeated candidate Radhey Shyam Vishnav filed an election petition under the Rajasthan Municipalities Election Petition Rules, 2009. The petition was filed without the mandatory treasury challan of Rs 1,000 required by Rule 3(5)(d). The a…

Two cardiac surgeons (Dr. Akshya Bisoi and Dr. Ujjwal Chowdhury) employed at AIIMS filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a mandamus directing AIIMS to determine that they were senior to Dr. Shiv Kumar Choudhary, the fourth respondent, based on the 1997 selection policy which they argued gave them higher grades…

Maya Appliances (now Preethi Kitchen Appliances) manufactures home appliances and offers quantity discounts to its distributors based on their quarterly performance. The discounts are applied to the net sale price and VAT is collected on that net amount. The assessing authority disallowed the discounts as deductions fr…

A motor vehicle registered in the name of Vijay Kumar (the first respondent) struck two pedestrians, killing one and injuring another. The vehicle had allegedly been sold through a chain of transfers before the accident, but the registration certificate remained in Vijay Kumar's name. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal…

IQ City Foundation, a medical college, applied for renewal of its permission under Section 10‑A of the Medical Council Act, 1956 to admit 150 MBBS students for the 2017‑18 academic year. The Medical Council of India (MCI) inspection and the subsequent Hearing Committee found a faculty deficiency of 15.9% and a resident…

The State of Kerala challenged a Kerala High Court order that directed the Secretary of the General Education Department to verify the actual strength of students in all aided schools through police assistance, after a school was found to have obtained staff fixation orders through bogus admissions. The High Court had …

The State of Telangana filed a criminal appeal against a Hyderabad High Court order that, while refusing to quash FIR No. 205/2014 (offences under IPC sections 147, 148, 149 and 307), directed the police not to arrest the three accused. The Supreme Court held that such a direction amounts to an order under Section 438 …

The trial judge in two dowry‑death cases recorded the acquittal of the accused in the order sheet but did not pronounce a judgment in open court, nor was any typed judgment signed or dated. A complaint led the High Court to investigate and find that no judgment existed on record, resulting in the judge's suspension and…

The dispute arose between two families over irrigation rights and escalated into a violent clash in a court premises on 17 February 1995, resulting in two deaths and several injuries. Darshan Singh, the appellant, was charged with murder (IPC s.302) of Santa Singh and voluntarily causing hurt (IPC s.324) to others, but…

The State of Andhra Pradesh prosecuted Patchimala Vigneswarudu for the murder of his wife, alleging he strangled her after a night out, motivated by strained marital relations and suspicion of venereal disease transmission. The trial court convicted him under Section 302 IPC, but the High Court acquitted him, holding t…

The respondent, a scientist, was appointed on deputation to the post of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks for a tenure of five years or until further orders. After serving one year, he was repatriated to his parent department without any stated reason. The Central Administrative Tribunal upheld the…

The appellant, R.S. Sehrawat, a junior engineer of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, was convicted by the Delhi High Court for contempt of court for allegedly filing a false affidavit concerning the demolition of unauthorised structures in Sainik Farms. He appealed to the Supreme Court under Section 19(1)(b) of the C…

The appellant, a 25‑year‑old coolie, was injured when the tractor he was riding in collided with a mud stone due to the driver’s rash driving. He filed a claim under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, seeking Rs.9,02,324 as compensation, which the tribunal awarded jointly against the tractor owner and the ins…

The appellant, Smt. Kavita, then Block Pramukh of a Kshettra Panchayat, challenged a no‑confidence motion notice issued by the Collector under Section 15 of the Uttar Pradesh Kshettra Panchayats and Zila Panchayats Adhiniyam, 1961. She contended that the Collector failed to investigate alleged fraud in the signatures o…

The appellant was intercepted on a public road near a club and, after being informed of his right to be searched before a gazetted officer or magistrate, consented to a search by a gazetted officer. A bag containing 1.5 kg of charas and cash was recovered from him. The appellant challenged the conviction on the grounds…

The petitioner sought a court order to ban the novel "Meesha", alleging that it insulted temple‑going women and could disturb public order, decency and morality. The Court examined whether the work fell within the narrow, reasonable restrictions permissible under Article 19(2) of the Constitution. Relying on principles…

The police, investigating a case involving illegal sale of call detail records, arrested Rizwan Alam Siddique and obtained a magistrate's order remanding him to police custody until 23 March 2018. His wife, Tasneem Rizwan Siddiquee, filed a writ of habeas corpus in the High Court alleging unlawful detention; the High C…

The respondent, a government employee, was appointed on an officiating basis to Superintendent Grade II in 2004 and later to Superintendent Grade I in 2007, with orders stipulating that he would continue on his own pay scale pending departmental promotion committee approval. He retired in 2008 and filed a writ petition…

The World College of Medical Sciences & Research and Hospital sought a writ of mandamus to quash the order that barred it from admitting MBBS students for the 2017‑18 and 2018‑19 sessions and to obtain renewal of its Letter of Permission (LOP). The Medical Council of India (MCI) inspection in October 2016 identified si…

On 16 December 2012, a 23-year-old paramedical student and her male friend boarded a bus in Delhi. Six men, including the appellants, gang-raped her, inserted an iron rod into her private parts causing severe internal injuries, and threw both victims out of the moving bus. The woman died from her injuries. The appellan…

In 1988 police stopped a truck near Raidhriana village and seized 110 bags of poppy husk. The appellants Kulwinder Singh and Amrik Singh, who were on the truck, fled the scene and were later arrested. They were convicted under Section 15 of the NDPS Act, sentenced to ten years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine, and app…

The petitioner alleged that the second respondent, Devender Agrawal, owned numerous diesel and petrol dealerships under the names of relatives, constituting benami arrangements, and also raised concerns of adulteration of petroleum products and the need for direct transfer of kerosene subsidies. The Supreme Court allow…

The petitioners sought a writ of mandamus challenging the approval and administration of the HPV vaccine, relying heavily on a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee. The Union of India contended that such a report could not be used as evidence to establish facts, invoking parliamentary privilege and the doctri…

The Commissioner of Delhi Value Added Tax appealed against the Delhi High Court's order that exempted M/s ABB Ltd. from VAT on sales made to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) under Sections 7(a) and (c) of the Delhi Value Added Tax Act, 2004. The issue was whether the import of goods and their inter‑state movemen…

The appellant, V.L.S. Finance Ltd., challenged a series of orders that allowed the withdrawal of prosecution under Section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C.) and permitted the accused to contest that withdrawal by filing applications under Section 91 Cr.P.C. The Court examined whether the Assistant Public …

The appeal concerned the election of Krishnamoorthy as President of Thekampatti Panchayat, where he had filed a nomination affidavit disclosing only one pending criminal case while suppressing eight other embezzlement cases. The High Court had declared his election void on the ground of corrupt practice, holding that t…

The Commissioner of Central Excise appealed against United Spirits Ltd., which manufactures Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and also produces food flavours used in IMFL. The revenue department issued show‑cause notices alleging that royalty received from franchisees for the use of its trademark should be added to the…

The appellants were charged under Sections 384, 467, 468, 471, 120‑B and 506(2) of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly conspiring to forge documents and extort land from the complainant. They filed a petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure seeking to quash the FIR on the ground that the dispute had…

The appellant, a police officer, challenged the promotion and seniority of respondent No.1, who was granted notional promotion to Deputy Superintendent of Police for 2001 despite a 1997 punishment of a two‑year increment bar. The High Court had directed inclusion of respondent No.1 in the 2001 select list, ignoring the…

Ravi N. Shrivastava, originally a daily wage worker, was regularized as a Lower Division Clerk and later made in charge of Office Steno. He was formally absorbed as a Steno‑typist on 12‑04‑2002, had passed the required shorthand‑typing exam in 2000, and was promoted to Stenographer on 22‑01‑2003. The promotion was canc…

The appellants Nizam and Shafique were convicted for the murder of Manoj under Sections 302 and 201 IPC based primarily on the "last seen theory" that Manoj was last seen alive with them. The Supreme Court examined the circumstantial evidence and held that the prosecution failed to establish a complete, unbroken chain …

The State of West Bengal appealed against an order of the Director of Consumer Goods that imposed a penalty on R.K.B.K. Ltd., a licensed kerosene oil agent, for alleged excess distribution. The dispute centered on whether the Director or the District Magistrate had authority under Paragraph 9 of the West Bengal Kerosen…

The appellant Hindustan Coca Cola Beverage Ltd. had claimed CENVAT credit and refunds under notifications issued in 1999‑2002. After the Finance Act, 2003 amended those notifications retrospectively under Section 153, the Assistant Commissioner ordered recovery of Rs 2,20,18,124, demanding payment within 30 days. The a…

The appellant challenged a Karnataka High Court judgment that dismissed a first appeal against a trial court order directing rectification of a partition deed. The High Court had merely reproduced portions of the trial court judgment and quoted documents without analysing the evidence or addressing the legal issues rai…

The appellant filed a suit for specific performance of a 2003 agreement to sell land, relying on an unregistered sale deed, a registered power of attorney, and an earlier unregistered 1995 agreement. The respondents challenged the admissibility of these documents, arguing that the 2003 deed required registration under …

The Supreme Court of India interpreted Article 239AA of the Constitution, which provides special provisions for the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The case arose from a dispute between the Government of NCT of Delhi and the Union of India regarding the powers of the Lieutenant Governor and the elected Council of …

The parties entered into a shareholders' agreement that stipulated arbitration under ICC Rules with the venue in London and the agreement governed by Indian law. The appellants argued that, based on the English court's interpretation and the Supreme Court's endorsement in BALCO and Enercon, the seat of arbitration was …

The State of West Bengal appealed against Calcutta Club Limited, which had been held not liable for sales tax on food and drink supplied to its permanent members. The club argued that the doctrine of mutuality made such supplies a non‑sale, while the State contended that the 46th Constitution Amendment (Article 366(29A…

The wife (informant) filed an FIR under Sections 498A, 323 and 34 IPC against her husband and mother‑in‑law. The charge‑sheet, however, named only the husband for offences under 498A and 323. While the trial was pending, she filed an application under Section 216 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) seeking to add …

The case concerned the murder of Badan Pal, a student, at a tube‑well shed where the deceased was shot. The prosecution proved that four accused, including Mahendra Singh and Vijendra Singh, were present in the shed; two were armed with pistols while Mahendra carried a lathi and Vijendra a ballam. The trial court convi…

Cine Exhibition Pvt. Ltd. filed Interlocutory Applications No.5 and 6 under Order XVIII Rule 5 seeking clarification or modification of a Supreme Court judgment dated 11 January 2012. The applications aimed to alter specific paragraphs, obtain official records, and modify operative directions concerning the Gwalior Dev…

The National Bank of Oman filed a private complaint in the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Ahmednagar, alleging that Barakara Abdul Aziz cheated the bank of AED 43,15,000. The CJM issued process under IPC sections 418 and 420 without first conducting an enquiry or ordering an investigation as required by …

The appellant, Benson, was convicted in twelve separate theft cases under Sections 379 and 414 of the IPC, each tried and sentenced individually. He petitioned for the subsequent sentences to run concurrently with the sentence already being served (Crime No.8). The Supreme Court examined Section 427(1) of the Criminal …

The appellants Vikas Yadav, Vishal Yadav and Sukhdev Yadav were convicted of murder, kidnapping and related offences (IPC ss.302, 364, 34, 201) and sentenced to life imprisonment with additional fixed‑term sentences. The State appealed for enhancement of the life sentence to death; the High Court instead imposed a fixe…

The petitioner filed an RTI application seeking the third respondent's service records, disciplinary memos, and details of his assets and gifts, most of which were contained in his income‑tax returns. The Central Information Commissioner (CIC) held that the requested information fell within the definition of "personal …

The appellant, Parhlad, and his uncle were convicted for kidnapping and raping a girl who was about 14 years old. The trial court, and subsequently the High Court, relied on the victim's testimony, her father's statements, and a school leaving certificate to establish that she was below sixteen, rejecting the ossificat…

The State Election Commissioner of Bihar disqualified Janakdhari Prasad, an elected member of a Panchayat Samiti, on the ground that his appointment as an Assistant Government Advocate placed him in the service of the State Government under Section 139(1)(c) of the Bihar Panchayat Raj Act, 1993. The High Court and the …

The deceased's family filed a claim petition under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 seeking compensation for death caused by a stone that fell during a blasting operation used to dig a well. The tribunal held the accident to be a vehicular accident because the tractor’s battery, still installed on the vehicl…

Indofil Industries Ltd. and others were prosecuted under the Insecticides Act for a misbranded insecticide and sought to quash the criminal complaint, contending that the spare sample had been sent to the Central Insecticides Laboratory (CIL) before any proceedings, violating Section 22(6)(ii) and depriving them of the…

The Supreme Court examined a challenge to the Central Government's 2009 notification (S.0.2941(E)) amending the NDPS Act's quantification parameters by inserting Note 4. The petitioners argued that the Act does not empower the Government to alter the definition of "small" and "commercial" quantities or to base punishme…

The mother, Nithya Anand Raghavan, removed her seven‑year‑old daughter Nethra from the United Kingdom to India and the father filed a writ of habeas corpus in Delhi seeking the child's production and compliance with a UK court order directing her return. The Delhi High Court ordered the mother to produce the child and …

The dispute arose from a purchase order between TRF Ltd (appellant) and Energo Engineering Projects Ltd (respondent) where the contract stipulated that any dispute be referred to the Managing Director of the buyer or his nominee as sole arbitrator. After the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2015 introduced…

The plaintiff, Satti Paradesi Samadhi & Pillayar Temple, filed a suit in 1997 seeking a declaration that three settlement deeds dated 27 March 1978, executed by a former trustee in favour of his daughters and granddaughter, were void, and also sought possession of the trust land. The defendant contended that the suit w…

The Supreme Court examined the appeal of Satish Shetty, convicted under IPC sections 498A (cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) for the death of his wife, who had left a ten‑month‑old son and was twenty weeks pregnant. The High Court had set aside the trial court’s acquittal, invoking the presumption under Evidence A…

Five accused were convicted under IPC sections 325 read with 149, 148A, 308/149 and 323/149 for causing grievous hurt and related offences. The trial court sentenced them to three years rigorous imprisonment for the major offence and imposed fines; the High Court enhanced the sentence for the two appellants to five yea…

The appellants, two brothers and their female relatives, were charged with offences arising from an alleged unlawful assembly in which they allegedly injured several persons and their father later died. The trial court held the incident to be a free fight and convicted them individually; the High Court set aside some c…

The case arose from a land dispute between the victim, Shriram, and his brothers. The victim alleged that three women (the appellants) and two men assaulted him, resulting in gunshot, axe, and other injuries, leading to an FIR under IPC sections 147, 148, 307, 149 and Section 25 of the Arms Act. The trial court convict…

Dr. Rini Johar, a doctor, and a senior advocate were arrested in November 2012 on a FIR alleging fraud under IPC sections 420 and 34 and the Information Technology Act. The arrest was carried out without complying with Sections 41 and 41‑A of the CrPC, nor the D.K. Basu guidelines, and the petitioners were taken to Bho…

Sarla Performance Fibers Ltd., a 100% export‑oriented unit (EOU), was assessed excise duty and penalty for removing partially oriented yarn to the domestic tariff area (DTA) without permission of the Development Commissioner. The Central Excise Commissioner ordered duty under the proviso to Section 3(1) of the Central …

The petitioners, Vasanta Sampat Dupare, were convicted of raping and murdering a four‑year‑old girl and sentenced to death. They sought review, arguing that the trial court violated Section 235(2) of the CrPC by not granting a separate hearing on sentencing, that the State failed to discharge its burden under Bachan Si…

M/s Ravi Prakash Refineries (P) Ltd. sold Sunflower De‑oiled Cake (SF DOC) in inter‑State trade and claimed a reduced central sales tax rate of 2% by producing Form C under Notification No. FD 119 CSL 2002(2). The assessing officer initially accepted the claim, but a later officer reopened the assessment, asserting tha…

The Orissa Olympic Association (OOA) was granted a lease of 20.808 acres for a stadium but later constructed 23 shops and a Kalyan Mandap (Barabati Palace) on land the State claims lies outside the lease. The Supreme Court, after a committee measured the leasehold area, found that the shops and part of the Mandap are o…

The Supreme Court dismissed a Special Leave Petition filed by SASI (D) through LRS against orders of the Kerala High Court that dismissed a second appeal (9 March 2012) and a review petition (26 October 2016). The review petition, filed on 20 September 2012, was barred by limitation and remained pending for nearly four…

The Supreme Court examined the convictions of Ram Laxman and Sanju under IPC sections 302, 149 and 148, which had been upheld by the High Court while other co‑accused were acquitted. The trial and appellate courts relied almost entirely on the testimony of a single eye‑witness, the informant Ganesh (PW‑10), whose credi…

The appellant sought to enforce an auction sale of a plot in Kanpur that had been conducted to recover land revenue under the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948. The auction was held a day after notice, the successful bidder deposited the required 25% by cheque and later by bank draft, both of which were rejected, and…

The appellant and his son were involved in a family land dispute with their brother (the informant). After a verbal altercation, the appellant fetched a 12‑bore DBBL gun and fired at the informant, killing him, and subsequently shot at the informant's wife and two friends, killing one and injuring another. The trial co…

The case involved the suicide of Surjit Kaur and her two daughters, who died after ingesting aluminium phosphide. A suicide note blamed the appellant Gurcharan Singh, his wife Ajit Kaur and a co‑accused for depriving the victims of their share in family property and subjecting them to harassment. The trial court and th…

The Supreme Court entertained an interlocutory application filed by the All India Judges Association seeking improvement of judicial infrastructure, particularly in subordinate courts. The Court noted that inadequate infrastructure hampers the delivery of justice and violates constitutional guarantees under Articles 21…

The appellant Oriental Insurance Company Ltd issued a fire industrial all‑risk policy to the respondent M/s Narbheram Power and Steel Pvt. Ltd. After a cyclone caused alleged losses, the insurer repudiated the claim, refusing to accept liability and declined to refer the dispute to arbitration. The insured invoked Clau…

Canara Bank, the secured creditor, sought to enforce its security over an immovable property pledged by the guarantor M. Amaren... after the borrower defaulted. The bank issued a possession notice, valued the property, and then served a notice of intention to sell together with a public e‑auction notice, fixing the sal…

The appellant, who secured admission to the Lucknow campus of English and Foreign Languages Universities after being placed lower on the Hyderabad campus merit list, sought transfer to Hyderabad when seats became vacant. The High Court single judge allowed the transfer, but the division bench set aside that order, hold…

A 42‑year‑old self‑employed businessman died in a motor accident caused by the negligence of a driver whose vehicle was insured by Reliance General Insurance. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded compensation of Rs 30,26,810, including a 30% addition for loss of future prospects. The insurer appealed, contending …

The Animal Welfare Board of India and others filed writ petitions seeking to quash a 2016 Union notification and to compel compliance with the Supreme Court's earlier judgment in Animal Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja. While the petitions were pending, the Tamil Nadu Amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Anim…

Mohammed Ansari, a member of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), sought non‑functional financial upgradation after completing the requisite service. He filed an original application before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which, despite a preliminary objection by the Government on jurisdiction, ente…

The appellant, Amrutbhai Shambhubhai Patel, filed a petition under Section 173(8) of the CrPC seeking a court‑ordered further investigation by the police after a charge‑sheet had been filed and the trial was underway. The trial court had granted the direction, but the High Court set it aside, holding that a magistrate …

The Commissioner of Customs ordered the confiscation of a drilling rig owned by Mis Aban Loyd Chiles Offshore Ltd. on the ground that the rig had been brought into Indian territorial waters for repairs without filing a bill of entry, was not declared under Section 46 and was therefore imported for home consumption. The…

The appellants, led by Apparao Pund, entered a cattle shed owned by Madhavrao Range to forcibly take possession of the land, resulting in a scuffle during which they set the shed on fire with kerosene. Savitribai, the wife of Madhavrao, was injured in the blaze and later died from her burns. The trial court and High Co…

HDFC Bank had financed a motor vehicle that was hypothecated to a borrower. The vehicle, uninsured at the time, was involved in a road accident causing injury to a third‑party claimant who obtained a compensation award. The issue was whether the financier, as the registered owner, could be held liable as the "owner" un…

The Kodungallur Film Society filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking directions to prevent mob violence against cultural establishments, especially following protests over films like Padmaavat. The Court examined whether the State must implement the guidelines from In Re: Destruction of Public and Private Proper…

The appellant, Pukhrem Sharatchandra Singh, filed an election petition challenging the 2012 election of the respondent, Mairembam Prithviraj, on grounds of a forged affidavit and procedural irregularities. The respondent delayed filing his written statement for two years and repeatedly sought adjournments, filing numer…

The case involved two officials of the Rural Water Supply Department of Zilla Parishad, Jalgaon, accused of misappropriating public funds allocated for rural drinking‑water schemes. FIRs were filed after an enquiry by the Revenue Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, alleging large sums were siphoned through fictitious…

Shri Venkateshwara University sought renewal of its Letter of Permission (LOP) to admit MBBS students for 2017‑18 after the Medical Council of India (MCI) inspected the college on 9 December 2016 and recommended debarment for 2017‑18 and 2018‑19. The university argued that the inspection violated clause 8(3)(l)(d) of t…

Krishna‑Mohan Medical College & Hospital challenged a Union of India order that barred it from admitting MBBS students for 2017‑18 and 2018‑19 and authorised the Medical Council of India to encash a Rs 2‑crore bank guarantee, on the ground of alleged faculty and resident‑doctor deficiencies and non‑cooperation with a s…

The Saraswati Educational Charitable Trust sought to establish a medical college and was granted conditional permission for the 2016-17 session. The Medical Council of India (MCI) conducted an inspection in November 2016, finding only minor deficiencies (faculty 1.5% and residents 6.52%) within permissible limits. A se…

The appellant, U.P. State Road Transport Corporation, dismissed conductor Gopal Shukla for allowing 25 passengers to travel without tickets, an act that constituted personal gain and breach of trust. The Labour Court, invoking Section 6(2-A) of the U.P. Industrial Disputes Act, substituted the dismissal with reinstatem…

Abdul Waheed, aggrieved by a civil suit and contempt petition, went armed with a pistol and firearms to the chabutra of Abbas Khan, where he and co‑accused fired shots and assaulted the complainants with lathis, resulting in the deaths of Abbas Khan and Israr Khan and injuries to several others. The prosecution relied …

The Kerala State Toddy Shop Contractors Association filed a public interest litigation challenging the Kerala High Court's order that, on the basis of Rule 28A of the Foreign Liquor (Compounding, Blending and Bottling) Rules, 1975, the State could not permit sale of Indian Made Foreign Liquor on the first day of any En…

The petitioners, a group of medical colleges, applied for permission to establish new medical colleges for the 2016-17 academic year. After the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Central Government initially disapproved their schemes, the Supreme Court constituted an Oversight Committee which later granted conditio…

IQ City Medical College applied for renewal of its MBBS intake for the 2017‑18 academic year. The Medical Council of India (MCI) inspection identified deficiencies and recommended non‑renewal. A Hearing Committee found the deficiencies insufficient to deny renewal, but the Central Government sent the matter back to MCI…

The appellant was accused of raping an eight‑year‑old girl who later died of neurogenic shock. Although the initial FIR did not name him, the investigation recovered the child's shawl and recorded a voluntary confessional statement. The trial court convicted him under IPC sections 376, 302 and 201 and sentenced him to …

The Supreme Court examined whether the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) could, under the PNGRB Act, 2008, fix the maximum retail price of gas and determine network tariff and compression charges for a city or local natural gas distribution network owned by Indraprastha Gas Ltd. The Court held that Sec…

The appeal concerned the classification of car air‑conditioning kits and automotive gas compressors under the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985 for the period 1 August 1991 to 28 February 1993. The revenue argued that the kits, whether sold with or without compressors, should be taxed under serial No.3 (or serial No.5) o…

The Kerala Tahsildar levied a luxury tax on a three‑storey building comprising 13 residential apartments by aggregating the plinth area of all apartments, invoking Section SA of the Kerala Building Tax Act, 1975. The Kerala High Court, on a single‑judge decision, held that tax should be levied only on apartments whose …

The petitioners, Rahul Yadav and others, purchased land and entered into a 30‑year lease with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to operate a petrol pump after being awarded a dealership. The dealership was later cancelled by the Court in Mukund Swarup Mishra's case, and IOC sought possession of the premises under the Public…

Madan Lal was convicted by a Sessions Court for raping a seven‑year‑old girl under IPC Section 376(2)(f) read with Section 511 and sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment. The High Court, relying on a compromise between the accused and the victim’s parents, set aside the rape conviction, reduced the charge to Se…

The case concerned a workman who was dismissed by the Nava Naroda Gram Panchayat and later entered into a compromise with the Sarpanch for reinstatement and back wages. The Labour Court upheld the compromise, but the Gram Panchayat and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation challenged its validity, arguing that the Sarpanch l…

The petitioners (State of Rajasthan and officials) appealed against a High Court order that granted revised pensions to a group of retired lecturers, librarians and PTIs who had retired before 1 January 2006. The respondents argued that, under the circular dated 12 September 2008, a pre‑1.9.2006 pensioner’s consolidate…

The appellant and four others were accused of attacking the father of the complainant with weapons, causing fatal injuries that led to his death. The trial court convicted them under Sections 302, 149 and 148 of the IPC, while the High Court altered the murder conviction to Section 302/34 and acquitted them of the Sect…

The Supreme Court examined the conviction of Umakant and his in‑laws for murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC, which was based solely on the victim's dying declaration. The Court held that the dying declaration was unreliable, showing signs of tutoring and contradictions with other evidence, and therefore …

Alakh Alok Srivastava filed a writ petition seeking medical care and compensation for an eight‑month‑old girl who was a victim of an offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and also sought directions for speedy disposal of POCSO cases across the country. The Court ordered that the chi…

The appellant Savitri Pandey and Raju Pandey were named in an FIR filed in 2014 by their sister‑in‑law alleging fraudulent sale deeds executed in 1994 concerning joint family land. The High Court dismissed their writ petition under Article 226 seeking quashing of the FIR. The Supreme Court examined whether such a writ …

The appeal concerned the interpretation of Section 30(2) of the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Act, 1984, which provides for an enhanced solatium of 30% of market value. The award in the present case was passed on 30 September 1985, after the amendment came into force. The High Court had held that the principle laid down…

Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd. (ONGC) appealed to the Supreme Court against the order of the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity which denied its claim for a refund. The appeal was filed more than 71 days after the 60‑day period prescribed under Section 125 of the Electricity Act, 2003, and beyond the additional 60‑day co…

The State of Madhya Pradesh prosecuted three accused—Rajaram, Udaibhan and Hakim Singh—for assaulting a complainant and his brother with weapons, resulting in multiple grievous injuries. The trial court convicted them under Section 307 IPC (attempt to murder) and Section 307/34, imposing ten years’ rigorous imprisonmen…