N D OJHA

The petitioners, doctors appointed ad hoc to the Central Health Service between 1968 and 1977, sought regularisation in Group A with seniority based on their original appointment dates. The Union of India opposed this, fearing that regularising the ad‑hoc doctors would displace regularly recruited Group A doctors. The …

The appellant, a freedom fighter, sought a pension under the Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme on the ground that he had permanently lost vision in his left eye due to a police lathi charge during the freedom struggle. Although medical certificates and recommendations from the District Collector and State Govern…

In the 1985 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, Lata Devi (Mali) was declared elected from Chandan Kyari (SC) constituency. The defeated candidate, Haru Rajwar, filed an election petition alleging that the Returning Officer changed his allotted symbol from "bow and arrow" to "ladder" less than twenty days before polli…

The suit land was taken under Government management and leased by the Mamlatdar to the appellant for ten years (7 Dec 1951 – 6 Dec 1961). After the lease expired, the management was terminated on 27 July 1963 and the land was restored to the landlord. The appellant claimed that his continued payment of rent to the Maml…

The Supreme Court heard a civil appeal concerning the Bhopal gas leak disaster, where Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) sought to resolve all claims arising from the tragedy. After reviewing extensive evidence, including data from U.S. courts and settlement negotiations, the Court deemed a comprehensive settlement approp…

The Bombay High Court Division Bench criticised the Deputy Charity Commissioner’s conduct and competence while discharging quasi‑judicial functions under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, prompting the Charity Commissioner to seek special leave before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court held that the High Court’s observat…

Shiva Glass Works Co. Ltd., a licensee under the Central Excises and Salt Act, 1944, paid excise duty on glassware based on price lists submitted for provisional assessment. A search revealed two sets of bills, indicating that duty had been paid at lower rates than the actual sale prices. The Assistant Collector issued…

The case concerned four life‑insurance policies taken by G.V. Ranade and assigned in 1969 to his wife, Kamalabai Ranade. The Income‑Tax Officer issued a notice under Section 226(3) of the Income Tax Act directing the LIC to pay the policy proceeds to satisfy Ranade’s tax arrears. The LIC delayed making the statutory st…

Maganlal mortgaged his property to M.P. State Financial Corporation. When the loan defaulted, the corporation invoked Sections 31 and 32 of the State Financial Corporations Act, 1951 to attach and sell the property. The first purchaser (Jaiswal Industries) obtained the sale, which was set aside, re‑sold to a second pur…

Jamunadas C. Tuliani, the landlord, sued five tenants and Arjun Khiamal Makhijani (defendant No.6) for eviction under the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947, alleging six months' rent arrears and illegal sub‑letting of a garage. The trial court decreed eviction on the grounds of rent default …

Devi Cinema and other firms challenged the disallowance of interest paid to their partners under Section 40(b) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal had held that the entire interest paid by the firm to a partner was disallowable, ignoring any interest the partner paid back to the firm on borro…

The Senior Subordinate Judge decreed a pre-emption suit in favour of Johri Singh, directing payment of Rs 41,082 less Zare‑Panjum (i.e., 4/5 of the amount) by 31‑Dec‑1975. The decree‑holder deposited the calculated sum but later discovered a shortfall of Rs 100 due to an arithmetic error. He applied for condonation of …

The Bhopal gas leak of December 2, 1984 killed about 2,660 people and injured tens of thousands. The Union of India and Union Carbide Corporation appealed against an interim compensation order of Rs.250 crores. The Supreme Court, considering the urgent need for relief, the range of offers (US$426‑500 million) and the g…

The Union of India sued Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) in the US District Court, which ordered a $5 million interim relief to be paid to the Indian Red Cross Society for Bhopal gas victims, stating the amount was an advance payment and would be set‑off against any final judgment. After the US case was dismissed on for…

The appellants, industrial electricity consumers, challenged the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board’s upward revision of high‑tension tariffs and the imposition of a fuel‑cost adjustment charge. The Supreme Court held that the Board’s power to fix tariffs under s.49 of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948, remains va…