S SAGHIR AHMAD

The Supreme Court entertained an application by the Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL) seeking directions for the supply of natural gas to industries in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) of Agra and for the laying of a pipeline through the old Yamuna Bridge. The Court noted that, under its earlier order dated 30‑12‑1996 in …

Ansal Engineering Projects Ltd entered into a construction contract with Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC) and furnished a bank guarantee of Rs 57,57,970 issued by UCO Bank in favor of THDC. After THDC terminated the contract, it invoked the guarantee and demanded payment. Ansal sought an injunction under …

The State of Madhya Pradesh issued a tender for the sale of perishable Tendu leaves. After the highest bid of another bidder (Respondent No.4) was cancelled, Mohammed Gazi was declared the highest bidder and deposited Rs 2,68,217.72 as earnest money. While Gazi was preparing to execute the purchase agreement, Responden…

The original owner, Prakash Singh, mortgaged his land to Basant Kaur for Rs 7,000 in 1968, the mortgage deed stipulating a term of 99 years. After Basant Kaur's death, the appellants stepped into her shoes as mortgagees in possession. In 1987 the mortgagor sold a portion of the mortgaged land to the respondent, who hel…

H.S. Chandra Shekara Chari was dismissed by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation in July 1988. He challenged the dismissal before the Labour Court, which held that the charges against him were not proved and ordered his reinstatement with full back wages. The respondents appealed to the High Court, where the …

V. Sivaraman sued Shakunthala for a declaration of title and possession of a property. The trial court decreed in his favour, after which he sold the property to R.R. Chettriar and another purchaser, who were impleaded as respondents in the appeal filed by Shakunthala. While the appeal was pending, Sivaraman applied to…

The husband of the appellant, Ramesh Nahar, was detained under Section 3 of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 on 3 February 1997. The detention order was not executed until 23 April 1998, a delay of more than a year, with the respondents offering only a vague claim th…

The appellant challenged the Delivery of Postal Articles Orders of 1991 and 1996, arguing that delivering mail to a mailbox in a high‑rise building was beyond the powers granted under the Indian Post Office Act, 1898, and that existing buildings lacking mailbox space should be exempt. The High Court upheld the orders, …

The appellants, private stage‑carriage operators, held temporary permits to ply a town‑service route (Chandragiri‑Renigunta via Tirupati) and relied on a government memorandum stating that town‑service routes could extend up to 8 km beyond municipal limits. The respondents, the Regional Transport Authority, contended t…

The appellant, U.P. Jal Nigam, challenged the promotion of a Junior Engineer, N.K. Agarwal, who claimed entitlement to promotion under the 25% quota and a 5% graduate quota prescribed in the U.P. Jal Nigam Engineers (Public Health Branch) Service Regulations, 1978. Agarwal, a graduate with ten years of service, was not…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Haryana Housing Board (HHB) qualifies as a "local authority" under section 32(iv) of the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965. The Board is a statutory corporation whose members are appointed by the State Government and whose functions are subject to extensive governmental control, includin…

The original respondent, Dinanath Shantaram Karekar, a government employee, was removed from service after a departmental enquiry. The charge‑sheet was sent to him by registered post but was returned with the endorsement "not found". A show‑cause notice was published in a local newspaper without any prior personal serv…

The respondent, a Lekhpal in the Uttar Pradesh government, was dismissed after a departmental enquiry. He challenged the dismissal before the State Public Services Tribunal, which set aside the dismissal on the ground that copies of documents listed in the charge‑sheet and statements of witnesses from the preliminary e…

The Supreme Court examined appeals by landowners (Meharban & others) against the State of U.P. concerning compensation for lands acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for the planned development of Meerut City. The High Court had reduced the compensation awarded by the reference court to very low rates (e.g., R…

The appellants Suresh Rai, Pradeep Rai and Jitendra Prasad Rai were convicted for the murder of Shambhu Rai under IPC sections 302, 34, 109 and the Arms Act, and sentenced to life imprisonment. They appealed, contending that the three alleged eye‑witnesses were not present at the scene, that the investigation was taint…

The respondents, long‑serving drill operators, were denied promotion after the 1990 Jammu & Kashmir Geology and Mining (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules introduced a matriculation qualification for higher posts. They filed writ petitions seeking to quash the qualification bar and to be promoted on seniority groun…

Capt. M. Paul Anthony, a security officer of Bharat Gold Mines Ltd., was arrested after a police raid at his residence recovered gold items. He was suspended and a departmental inquiry was initiated, but his request to stay the inquiry pending the criminal trial was denied. The inquiry proceeded ex parte, he was found …

The respondents filed eviction suits against tenant Harkesh Rai Agarwal in 1975, both of which were dismissed, after which a compromise decree was entered on 26 Nov 1981 whereby Harkesh Rai agreed to surrender a room now occupied by the appellant, Ram Chandra Verma. When execution of the decree was sought, the appellan…

The dispute arose from land acquired under a notification dated 17 October 1981, with possession taken in January 1982. The Land Acquisition Officer awarded compensation of Rs 2,000 per acre on 31 July 1982, which was later enhanced by the civil court to Rs 4,000 per acre (7 November 1983) and by the Madras High Court …

The State of Haryana filed a Letters Patent Appeal against a judgment of the Punjab & Haryana High Court, but delayed filing the appeal by 109 days. The High Court refused to condone the delay under Section 5 of the Limitation Act, 1963. The Supreme Court examined the meaning of "sufficient cause" and held that the pro…

The case concerned property bequeathed by Somasundram Pillai in 1950 to his wife Sellathachi and his cousin's widow Janakathachi as maintenance. After the testator's death the widows possessed the land, but a power of attorney later alienated it, prompting a suit to declare the alienations illegal. The question before …

The petitioners challenged two notifications dated 6 January 1995 and 9 March 1995 issued under Sections 4, 6 and 17(4) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for land in Nilothi, Delhi, which was to be used for a sewage‑treatment plant (STP). They argued that the phrase "is likely to be needed" in the Section 4 notificatio…

The appellants were granted stage‑carriage permits by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Bikaner, to ply buses on a Sangaria‑Delhi inter‑state route. The Rajasthan Road Transport Corporation challenged the permits, arguing that the route was covered by a reciprocal transport agreement between Rajasthan and Haryana…

Handloom House, a co‑operative society, paid its employees incentive bonuses and sales commissions in addition to regular wages. The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) claimed that these payments were "wages" under Section 2(22) of the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 and demanded additional contributions.…

The case concerned the promotion of Har! Om Sharma, a senior non‑diploma line‑man, to the post of Junior Engineer‑I in 1990. Although promotion quotas were fixed for three feeder cadres, the department used an integrated seniority list, ignoring the quota for non‑diploma holders. Sharma was placed in the higher post on…

The appellant Plot Holders Association challenged the award made under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for a large parcel of land in Sahibabad, contending that the authorities were not liable to pay solatium and interest under the 1984 amendment. The Special Land Acquisition Officer had already granted compensation, sol…

The respondents, who were Head Constables, appeared for the promotion examination to Assistant Sub‑Inspectors in December 1993. Because very few candidates passed, the Director‑General of Police (DGP) granted 15% grace marks to general candidates and 10% to reserved‑category candidates, but only for the Jabalpur zone, …

The Supreme Court considered an appeal by the Union of India challenging the enhanced compensation awarded by a reference court in a land acquisition proceeding. The acquisition was made under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, and the compensation was initially set by the Land Acquisition Officer and late…

The Supreme Court examined the compensation payable for 97 acres of agricultural land acquired for a colony for weaker sections in Guntur district. The Land Acquisition Officer initially awarded Rs 22,940 per acre, which was enhanced by the Subordinate Judge to Rs 1,00,000 per acre and further by the High Court to Rs 2…

The respondent was granted a 30‑year lease of Government land in 1949, renewable up to 99 years, but the lease was terminated in 1960. The land was later acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, and the Land Acquisition Officer awarded Rs 4,000 per bigha in 1967. The reference court enhanced the award to Rs 17,00…

The Supreme Court examined a large land acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 where the Collector had initially classified lands into four belts and awarded uniform compensation. On reference, the lower court re‑classified the lands into Classes A and B and enhanced compensation, but the High Court later gra…

The New Mangalore Port Trust advertised a vacancy for Deputy Conservator, requiring ten years of experience as a Master of a foreign‑going ship or in pilotage/dredging. Captain Subhash Kumar (respondent No.4) had six years as Master and nine years as Pilot, while the appellant had two years as Master and eleven years a…

Nar Singh Pal, a casual labourer who had acquired temporary status in the Telecom Department, was terminated in May 1992 on the basis of alleged assault and pending criminal charges under the IPC. The termination was effected by paying retrenchment compensation without a regular departmental enquiry. Pal was later acqu…

Attiq‑ur‑Rehman filed a civil suit to restrain the Municipal Corporation of Delhi from demolishing alleged unauthorised construction on his property. The corporation later lodged a criminal complaint under sections 332 and 461 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act in the Court of a Metropolitan Magistrate, even though…

The respondents filed a private criminal complaint alleging that the appellants forged an agreement and signatures to claim possession of property, invoking offences under IPC sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120B. The magistrate took cognizance of the complaint on 27 September 1983. The appellants later filed a civil s…

The petition under Article 32 challenged the selection of three advocates—Mohinder Singh Suller, S.K. Sardana and Nawab Singh—as Additional District and Sessions Judges in Haryana, alleging that the High Court had no definite selection procedure and that one appointee was the son‑in‑law of a sitting judge, raising conc…

The petitioner, a tenant, was evicted by the respondent, the landlord, under Section 11(1)(e) of the Bihar Building (Lease Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1982 on the ground that the fixed‑term lease had expired. The tenant contended that the lease was invalid because the registered deed of Kabuliyat was signed only by…

The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) appealed against a Delhi High Court order that held a 1988 notification extending the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948 to shops was inapplicable to M.M. Suri & Associates (P) Ltd., a shop with five officers and fewer than twenty workers. The Supreme Court examined w…

The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) offered a Salary Savings Scheme under which Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking (DESU) deducted insurance premiums from its employees' salaries and remitted them to LIC. DESU failed to remit premiums for two months, after which an employee died and his widow claimed the policy benefit…

The respondents, who had been allotted government land on the condition that it could not be alienated without prior sanction, executed a power of attorney to sell the land. The District Revenue Officer, after receiving the respondents' explanation to a show‑cause notice, held that the assignment could not be cancelled…

The respondent, claiming ownership of a Delhi premises through a sale deed, filed an eviction petition under Section 14(1)(e) of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958, invoking bona‑fide requirement. The appellants, tenants, contended that the property was vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India and therefore co…

The landlord, who owned a shop room, sought eviction of his tenant to start an electrical goods business, claiming a diploma in Electrical Engineering but no prior experience. The trial court denied eviction, while the appellate court ordered eviction under Section 13(1)(g) of the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House …

The appellants, landladies, obtained permission under Section 3 of the U.P. (Temporary) Control of Rent and Eviction Act, 1947 to evict a tenant on the ground of a bona‑fide requirement to shift a nursing home. The suit filed on that permission was later withdrawn without any liberty to re‑file. After the 1972 Act came…

Birla Yamaha Ltd. booked Patel Roadways Ltd. to transport 267 generator sets, which were destroyed in a fire at the carrier's godown. The complainant filed a petition before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission alleging deficiency in service and seeking compensation. The Commission held the carrier liabl…

Muralidhar Sarangi owned two trucks insured under two policies of New India Assurance. While transporting goods in Assam, the trucks were destroyed by Bodo terrorists, resulting in loss of the vehicles and the death of a driver. The insurer denied the claim, stating that terrorist risk was excluded. The State Consumer …

R. Srinivasan filed a complaint before the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission seeking damages for loss to his insured vehicle. The complaint was dismissed for default and his application for restoration was also rejected. He then filed a fresh complaint before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, w…

The appellants, G. Sagar Suri and Shama Suri, were accused of obtaining a loan of Rs. 50 lakh from a finance company and issuing cheques that later bounced. A complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act was filed, and concurrently a First Information Report under Sections 406 and 420 of the IPC was lo…

The respondent, a clerk of Nedungadi Bank Ltd., was dismissed in 1972 for misappropriation of funds following a disciplinary inquiry. After about seven years he sought reinstatement, alleging discrimination because two other dismissed employees had been reinstated, and applied to the Central Government under Section 10…

A Bangladeshi woman, Hanuffa Khatoon, was gang‑raped by several Railway employees at the Yatri Niwas, Howrah Station. Advocate Chandrima Das filed a writ petition under Article 226 seeking compensation of Rs 10 lakh and other reliefs. The Calcutta High Court awarded the compensation, holding that the offence violated t…

The appellants, who had risen from clerks to assistant managers in the New Bank of India, were placed in the Junior Management Grade Scale I along with accountants after the bank was taken over by the Union of India under the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1980. They challenged Regula…

The petitioners, Gurlingappa and others, challenged the compensation awarded by the Land Acquisition Officer under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for land acquired for the Amerja Project. The officer had fixed Rs. 3,000 per acre, which the District Court enhanced to Rs. 6,300 (dry land) and Rs. 9,820 (cultivable land);…

Sarla Ahuja, a widow residing in Calcutta, sought eviction of United India Insurance Co. Ltd., the tenant of her Delhi premises, invoking Section 14(1)(e) of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958, on the ground of a bona‑fide requirement and lack of suitable accommodation in Delhi. The Rent Controller upheld her claim and o…

The Union Government allotted a petrol pump site at San Martin Marg to Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL), which was later re‑allotted to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) without notice, following a Supreme Court order in a public‑interest litigation. The Supreme Court subsequently recalled its earlier…

The plaintiff paid Rs.1 lakh each to the property owner (defendant 1) and his agent (defendant 2) based on a written authorisation allowing the agent to sell the ground floor. The sale fell through; the agent returned Rs.50,000 but the owner refused to refund his share, denying any contractual relationship with the pla…

The case concerned several police officers who had been promoted on an officiating basis with a stipulation that they would not receive seniority until selected under the Bihar Police Manual Rules. The High Court had granted seniority and promotion to Brij Bihari Prasad Singh and Kameshwar Prasad Singh, relying on the …

The tenant, Jagdish Lal, held a lease for a shop let for "Maniari" (general merchant) business at Rs 600 per month. He later started a restaurant serving tea and cold drinks, which the Rent Controller deemed a change of user under Section 13 of the Haryana Urban (Control of Rent & Eviction) Act, 1973 and ordered evicti…

Nath Bros. Exim International Ltd. booked 77 packages of silk garments with Best Roadways Ltd. for carriage from Noida to Bombay, the contract stating the goods were carried "at Owner's Risk". The consignment was diverted to a warehouse in Bhiwandi on alleged instructions of the consignee and was completely destroyed b…

The West Bengal State Electricity Board claimed Rs 28,68,264.06 from Fakir Chand Rice Mills for alleged pilferage in electricity consumption. The trial court ordered the mill to pay Rs 2,60,000, which the High Court later modified to a direction to deposit Rs 5,60,000 without adjudicating the liability. The mill appeal…

Canara Bank sued a partnership firm and its partners for recovery of a loan secured by an equitable mortgage. The trial court awarded interest at the contractual rate of 16.5% on the balance up to the date of suit and at a reduced rate of 6% per annum for future interest from the date of suit. The Karnataka High Court …

Whirlpool Corporation, a US company, had its "WHIRLPOOL" trademark registered in India in 1957 and renewed twice, but it lapsed after 1977. The Chinar Trust later obtained registration of the same mark and began using it, prompting Whirlpool to file a passing‑off suit and a rectification petition. While the suit was pe…

The appellant was convicted by a Designated Court under Sections 3 and 5 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 and Section 307 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly storing lethal weapons, extorting money and threatening a police officer during a search. On appeal, the …

V.C. Grover obtained an overdraft facility from Bank of India by pledging shares and later requested the bank to sell 500 of those shares to clear part of his overdraft. The bank delayed the sale for several months, during which the share price fell dramatically, causing Grover a loss. He filed a complaint before the N…

The State of Andhra Pradesh was sued by the family of Challa Chinnappa Reddy, who died after a bomb was hurled into his jail cell, alleging negligence of police officers who ignored repeated warnings of a conspiracy to kill the inmates. The trial court dismissed the suit on grounds of limitation and sovereign immunity;…

The respondent, a retired Central Government employee, filed an eviction petition under Section 14C of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958 (amended 1988) seeking possession of premises he had let to the appellant. The appellant contested, seeking leave to defend under Section 25B, but the Rent Controller dismissed the app…

Samishta Dube was appointed as a typist/clerk in the City Board, Etawah on 15‑12‑1987 and terminated on 12‑04‑1988 after 3 months 27 days of service. She raised an industrial dispute under Section 4‑K of the U.P. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Labour Court held that while the termination was not invalid, the "last …

The appellants, untrained assistant teachers in Bihar, were terminated and later appointed on 4 October 1994 under directions of the Supreme Court and the High Court that vacancies existing before 1 January 1992 be filled and that such appointees be paid arrears from 1 July 1992. The appellants claimed arrears of salar…

The Indore Development Authority conducted a public auction of a government land parcel; the appellant, Malik Brothers, was the highest bidder but failed to pay the balance, leading to forfeiture of the premium. The appellant challenged the forfeiture and the Authority referred the dispute to an arbitrator, who awarded…

The case concerns D.K. Dayananda, a clerk of Syndicate Bank, who was absent from duty for more than 90 consecutive days. The Bank issued a show‑cause notice under Clause 16 of the Bipartite Settlement, which was returned as "refused"; the employee neither responded nor reported for duty, leading the Bank to deem him to…

Chandra Parkash Shahi, a constable recruited on probation under the U.P. Police Regulations, completed his two‑year probation without blemish but was terminated a year later by a simple notice under Rule 3 of the U.P. Temporary Government Servants (Termination of Service) Rules, 1975, following a preliminary enquiry in…

The appellants, Assistant Engineers (Electrical) Class II, were promoted on an ad‑hoc basis to Executive Engineer (Electrical) and later regularised. The Department’s seniority list counted their ad‑hoc service for seniority, which was challenged by directly recruited Assistant Executive Engineers (Electrical) Class I.…

A minor child was admitted to Spring Meadows Hospital for typhoid treatment. A nurse administered an injection without proper testing, causing the child to suffer cardiac arrest, brain damage and a vegetative state. The parents filed a complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, seeking compensation for the chil…

The respondent, a Sub‑Inspector of the CRPF, was charged with disobeying transfer orders, neglect of duty and misconduct. During the departmental enquiry, the Enquiry Officer treated letters from two witnesses—one for the department and one for the respondent—as oral statements, despite the witnesses’ inability to appe…

The appellants, promoters of an apartment complex, sold a flat to the respondent’s minor daughter for Rs. 2,10,000 and delivered possession in September 1985 but failed to execute a sale deed. The respondent filed a complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 on 19 June 1992 seeking specific performance and compe…

O.P. Sharma, a former DIG of the CBI, filed an application under Section 91 of the Criminal Procedure Code seeking the summons and production of documents he alleged would demonstrate that the CBI’s case against him was driven by malice. The Special Judge rejected the application, finding the documents irrelevant and i…

Smt. Santra, a poor labourer with seven children, underwent a sterilisation operation at a government hospital under the family‑planning scheme and was issued a certificate stating the procedure was successful. She later became pregnant and gave birth to a child because only her right fallopian tube had been operated o…

The appellant, a CRPF officer, was deputed to the CBI and sought permanent absorption on the basis that he was a graduate. He failed to produce a graduation certificate and claimed that a degree was not required for someone of his standing, leading the CBI to doubt his integrity and repatriate him to his parent departm…

The State Bank of India obtained a preliminary decree for a sum of Rs. 70,087.75 in 1987 and was required to apply for a final decree by 31‑12‑1991. It filed the application only on 27‑7‑1994, seeking condonation of a 714‑day delay under Section 5 of the Limitation Act, 1963 and Order 34 Rule 5 of the CPC. The subordin…

Three employees of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation were placed on a two‑year probation and later terminated after the probation period ended. They challenged the terminations before the High Court, which held that the corporation could not terminate their services after the maximum probation period because t…

The workmen of Birla Textiles filed a contempt petition alleging that the management willfully disobeyed the Supreme Court's order in MC Mehta v. Union of India directing the shift of the factory to Baddi and the grant of certain benefits. The Court found that the factory was not fully functional and only 937 workmen c…

The respondent, an engineer of the Rajasthan Government, was charged with using sub‑standard material. An enquiry officer exonerated him because the forensic samples were not taken as per procedure, but the State Government, acting as disciplinary authority, disagreed, recorded reasons, and imposed a penalty of withhol…

The respondents complained that the appellants fraudulently obtained their signature on a sale agreement and filed a criminal case under Sections 420 and 406 IPC. The Judicial Magistrate discharged the appellants, a revision before the Sessions Court was dismissed, and a second revision was filed before the High Court,…

Kirloskar Brothers Ltd., a manufacturer with factories in Maharashtra and Deewas, set up regional offices in Secunderabad and Bangalore to sell its products. The State Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka treated these offices as establishments under Section 2(g) of the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948 and i…

The appellants, heirs of Yadavrao P. Pathade, appealed against the State of Maharashtra seeking interest on the solatium awarded under Section 23(2) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The compensation had been enhanced by the reference court and further by the High Court to Rs 42,056.15, but the High Court refused inte…

The respondent, S. Subramaniam, a Deputy Tehsildar, was charged with demanding and accepting illegal gratification for effecting land‑record mutations. A disciplinary inquiry found the charge proved and ordered his removal from service. The Tamil Nadu Administrative Tribunal, on review, re‑appreciated the evidence, con…

The respondents, Suresh Kumar Verma and another, were re‑engaged as Assistant Development Officers on a daily‑wage basis after the project they were working on ended. The Himachal Pradesh High Court had directed the State to re‑engage them despite existing vacancies, treating the daily‑wage appointment as a regular pos…

The respondents, co‑owners of land sold by a widow who possessed only a limited estate, filed a suit under Section 15(1)(b) of the Punjab Pre‑emption Act, 1913 seeking pre‑emption of the sale. The trial court decreed in their favour and the decree was upheld on appeal, but the second appeal was dismissed. While these p…

The Union Bank of India issued a bank guarantee for Dany Dairy & Food Engineers Ltd., which was later invoked by Seppo Rally OY, a Finnish company. Payment under the guarantee was delayed because the bank had to obtain permission from the Reserve Bank of India to remit the amount in foreign exchange and because of a la…

The respondent, appointed as a Development Officer on probation by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), was terminated on 22 May 1986 under Regulation 14(4) of the LIC Staff Regulations, which allows discharge without notice or cause during probation. He challenged the termination before the Karnataka High Court,…

The appellants, District and Sessions Judges serving in the Union Territory of Goa, claimed that their pay should have been increased in line with the raise granted to their counterparts in the Union Territory of Delhi in 1982. The High Court dismissed their writ petition, holding that they had not proved the nature of…

The appellants, former Deputy Collectors of the Andhra Pradesh State Civil Service, were excluded from the 1987 IAS promotion list and obtained a Tribunal order directing the creation of 14 supernumerary IAS posts. The Government of India issued notifications on 15‑12‑1993 (amending the Cadre Strength Regulation) and 1…

The State of Rajasthan prosecuted Ram Narain and two others for abducting, wrongfully confining, and raping a minor girl aged between 15 and 17. The trial court convicted all three under IPC sections 376, 366 and 342 and imposed rigorous imprisonment of seven, five and one years respectively, with a fine on the first a…

The appellant, the legal heir of the deceased owner of three plots in Kanpur, challenged the computation of excess urban land under the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976. The plots comprised a dwelling unit on 501.64 sq m and two industrial factories on larger plots. The authorities declared the appellant h…

The appellants claimed ownership of several plots recorded in the name of their predecessor, Hira Lal, while the respondents asserted that the land was "sir" and "khudkasht" of their predecessor, Hansraj, who had mortgaged the plots to Hira Lal in 1920. After the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, …

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) sought permission to install hot‑mix plants within the vicinity of Indira Gandhi International Airport to resurface its runways, arguing that the work is of national importance and that distant plants would compromise the quality of the mix and airport security. Environmental group…

The appellant wife filed a petition under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code seeking maintenance, alleging that her husband, who had sufficient means, had neglected and refused to maintain her and was living with another woman. The husband contended that the wife could not prove a second marriage under Section …

The appellants owned 25 bighas of land in Khirkee village that were covered by a composite notification under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 issued on 5 November 1980, and a subsequent declaration under Section 6 published on 7 June 1985, more than three years later. Several writ petitions were filed ch…

The father of the appellant hypothecated a 5‑bigha property by usufructuary mortgage on 10 July 1911 for Rs.261, obligating the mortgagee to pay land revenue. The mortgagee defaulted, the property was auctioned and purchased by Ramtahal Singh. The appellant sued for redemption; the trial court decreed in his favour, bu…

The State Bank of Hyderabad sued the Joint Family of Mis. Mukundas Raja Bhagwan Das for recovery of a promissory note dated 20 May 1953. The respondents had applied in March 1960 under Section 11 of the Andhra Pradesh Jagirdar Debt Settlement Act, 1952 for scaling down the debt, and the Debt Settlement Board later held…

The appellant, N.K. Haji, ran a primary school and applied for its upgradation to an upper primary school under the Kerala Education Rules. Although the initial 1975 notification did not list his school, the Government later issued a revised order sanctioning the upgradation, which was challenged on the ground that the…

Modern Insulators Ltd. purchased an All Risk Insurance Policy from Oriental Insurance Co. for a kiln installation. When the kiln furniture collapsed during trial, the insurer refused to pay, claiming an exclusion clause for second‑hand property that the insured alleged was never disclosed. The State Consumer Disputes R…

The appellant, a doctor who tested HIV‑positive, had his status disclosed by Hospital Z when he was about to marry Ms. Y, leading to social ostracism. He filed a consumer complaint seeking damages for breach of medical confidentiality and violation of his right to privacy under Article 21. The Supreme Court held that t…

The appellants received compensation for land acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, which was later enhanced and subsequently reduced on appeal. While the appeal was pending, they executed the decree and recovered the enhanced amount together with interest. The State filed an application under Section 144 of the Cod…

The Union of India appealed against the Delhi High Court’s order granting claimants an additional amount at 12% per annum under Section 23(1‑A) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The claimants sought this interest for the period between the notification of acquisition and the award of compensation. The Supreme Court ob…

The appellant had entered into a contract to sell a parcel of land to the respondent, who later sued for specific performance but the suit was dismissed and a decree for refund of earnest money was granted. The decree-holder sought execution of the decree, leading the court to attach and auction the appellant's land. T…

The petitioner, Dr. (Capt.) Akhouri Ramesh Chandra Sinha, filed a contempt petition alleging that the State of Bihar had failed to implement the Supreme Court’s earlier judgment fixing his seniority from 6 September 1966 and the consequent promotional benefits. He further claimed that officers who were not entitled to …

The appellant, a member of a joint Hindu family, executed a gift deed in favour of a stranger in 1959, later cancelled it and sold the property to the respondent. The respondent sued for a declaration that the gift deed was obtained by fraud and therefore voidable, and for possession based on the subsequent sale deed. …

Six lab assistants employed on daily wages at a private college filed a writ petition under Article 226 seeking equal pay with government employees, invoking Article 39(d) and executive instructions. The High Court dismissed the petition, and the matter reached the Supreme Court on appeal. The Court examined whether a …

The State of U.P. appealed against a Service Tribunal and High Court order that quashed adverse remarks recorded in the confidential reports of Yamuna Shanker Misra and another employee for the years 1987‑88 and 1988‑89, which had denied their promotion. The Tribunal held the remarks were made with malice and arbitrari…

The Bandhua Mukti Morcha filed a public‑interest writ under Article 32 seeking a total ban on employment of children below 14 years in the carpet industry of Uttar Pradesh and direction to provide education, health, nutrition and other welfare facilities. The Court examined evidence showing widespread child‑bondage, ph…

The Himachal Gramin Bank promoted fifteen clerks to the post of Field Supervisor in 1987, allegedly using a merit‑cum‑seniority criterion instead of the prescribed seniority‑cum‑merit rule. Respondents challenged the promotion, and the Himachal Pradesh High Court set aside the selection, directing a fresh promotion pro…

The petitioners, the Superintending Engineer, Public Health, UT Chandigarh and others, appointed two officers to the post of Head Draftsman without considering the respondent, Kuldeep Singh, a Scheduled Caste (SC) candidate who was eligible for promotion under the reservation roster. The vacancy was reserved for Schedu…

The landlord, Srinivasiah, sought eviction of the tenant, Balaji Krishna Hardware Store, claiming a bona fide need for the shop for his son's business. The Rent Controller, appellate authority, and Madras High Court all ordered eviction, but the Supreme Court reversed these orders, assuming an alternative vacant shop b…

The petitioners, employees of the Food Corporation of India, sought promotion to Assistant Manager Category II under the Staff Regulations, 1971, which require three years of experience as Assistant Category I. The Promotion Board issued executive instructions that relaxed this experience requirement and promoted certa…

The respondent purchased three bighas and six kathas of land from the Raja Dumraon Raj in 1957 and filed a suit for declaration of title. The appellant claimed he had been in possession of the land as a lessee since 1925 and the trial court dismissed the suit, finding the appellant to be a raiyat. The Subordinate Judge…

The University of Cochin adopted Kerala State Subordinate Service Rules 14‑17A to reserve certain non‑teaching posts for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and advertised six such posts for special recruitment. The first respondent, a Section Officer, applied for the posts but was not selected and challenged the app…

J.P. Sharma, who had been Headmaster of a Junior High School since July 1974, contested the appointment of Man Singh Verma as Headmaster of the same school after it was upgraded to a High School in July 1976. The selection was made under Section 16‑E(2) of the U.P. Intermediate Education Act, 1921, which requires a min…

The appellant, Ram Sakhi Devi, was appointed headmistress of a junior high school that was upgraded to a high school. The managing committee selected her under the U.P. Intermediate Education Act, 1921, but the District Inspector did not ratify the appointment. The appellant challenged the dismissal of her writ petitio…

The deceased respondent and Smt. Reshambai jointly purchased 9 acres of land. Reshambai executed an agreement of sale in favour of the appellant, promising to convey her share to the respondent, but later refused to execute the deed, alleging fraud and that the agreement was void under the rule against perpetuity. The …

The appellant, Rana Pratap Singh, was temporarily promoted to Sub‑Inspector in February 1976 and served in that post until his reversion on 7 May 1983. The Government later created 1,300 super‑numerary police posts in December 1984, stipulating that only Sub‑Inspectors who had served three years or more up to 30 Septem…

The appellants, Kerala recruits in the Land Revenue Department, challenged the validity of the Special Rules issued by the Government of Kerala on 16 June 1980, which retrospectively required Lower Division Clerks to pass certain promotion tests dating back to 1963 and 1964. The Kerala High Court struck down those rule…

Dr. A.K. Sinha, an IAS officer allotted to the Haryana cadre, obtained a Ph.D. in 1979 and sought four advance increments under Rule 2(b) of the All India Services (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1960. The Haryana State Government denied the request, but the Punjab & Haryana High Court directed the State to grant the in…

The Supreme Court examined a civil appeal concerning a decree that granted a perpetual injunction against the appellant and a second defendant in a land dispute. The decree against the second defendant had become final because he did not contest it, while the appellant appealed the decree. The Allahabad High Court dism…

The respondent, a Smallpox Supervisor in the Haryana Health Department, resigned to contest state assembly elections and his resignation was accepted. After losing the election, he applied to withdraw his resignation, but the application was rejected, leading him to file a writ petition. The Punjab & Haryana High Court…

The appellant, Kameshwari Devi, was a minor when a partition suit (Suit No. 178/57) was filed in 1957 concerning the estate of her father, Bigan Kumhar. A court‑appointed guardian represented her, and the suit resulted in a decree granting a 1/42 share to each branch, based on a registered partition deed (Phatbandi). A…

The appellant, Satish Kumar, leased immovable property to the respondent, Zarif Ahmed, for eleven months at a monthly rent of Rs.220. After the tenant defaulted, the landlord obtained a decree of ejectment from the trial court, which the High Court set aside on the ground that the unregistered lease deed could not be a…

The plaintiff, Cheriyan Sosamma, held a usufructuary mortgage over a property that had earlier been leased to her husband Abraham Cherian. After the husband's death, the landlord sought redemption of the mortgage, claiming that the lease merged with the mortgage and thus the lessee's rights were extinguished. The Supre…

The appellant insurer issued a policy that covered only goods permissible under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The respondent was transporting 15 barrels of ether solvent, which the Court held to be synonymous with ethyl ether, a hazardous substance listed in Table III of Rule 137, Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. Th…

The respondent, G.S. Sonakiya, was appointed as an ad hoc Assistant Engineer in the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department. During his service he had an adverse entry for 1976-77, his integrity for that year was withheld, and it was discovered that he had altered his High School Certificate to reduce his age by two year…

The appellant, the Rajasthan High Court, appealed a Supreme Court judgment that had set aside a direction issued by two of its judges ordering the Registrar to prepare a report on whether posts filled by officers of the Rajasthan Judicial Service on deputation could be manned by High Court staff. The petition originate…

The case concerned a decree for specific performance granted in 1982, which became final after the Supreme Court dismissed a Special Leave Petition. The trial court had directed the respondents to deposit Rs. 500 and execute a sale deed by June 7, 1982, and later extended the time for compliance on August 20, 1982, not…

The petitioner, Mis. Ashok Caterers, occupied premises under a monthly lease that was offered for five years but never accepted; the lease expired in January 1990 and the tenancy was later determined by order on 24 December 1994. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay initiated summary eviction proceedings under S…

Bechan, a bhumidar under the U.P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950, executed three gift deeds in favour of his stepson Laldhar—two in June 1951 and one on 18 November 1957. The first two gifts were challenged on the ground that permission for alienation was not properly obtained, but the court held that t…

The respondent obtained a decree for Rs. 3,825.85 and his property was sold on December 18, 1978; the petitioner bought it for Rs. 67,000. The respondent filed an application under Order XXI, Rule 90 of the CPC to set aside the sale, which the executing court dismissed. On appeal, the appellate court set aside the sale…

The case concerned the succession to the shebaitship of the Shri Jugal Kishoreji Maharaj Mandir founded by Hari Dass. After the founder's death, his four chelas were nominated but none exercised the power to appoint a successor. The last serving chela, Bansi Dass, executed a will nominating Rambir Das and his brother a…

The Supreme Court examined three disciplinary dismissals of employees of the Uttar Pradesh State Co‑operative Land Development Bank Ltd. (the Bank). The High Court had held that the Bank was not an "authority" under Article 12 and that the dismissals violated natural‑justice rules, setting aside the orders. The Supreme…

The Supreme Court had ordered the closure of 168 industries, including Birla Textiles, and prescribed that workmen would retain continuity of service and receive full wages until the industries restarted at a new location. The management decided to relocate to Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, and issued several notices requiri…

The appellant, Rafat Ali, leased premises from the respondents, Sugni Bai and heirs, who later sought eviction under the Andhra Pradesh Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1960 on three grounds: rent default, waste causing damage, and nuisance. Both the Rent Control Court and the Appellate Authority found…

Krishan Prasad Gupta, an employee, filed a claim under Section 15 of the Payment of Wages Act seeking recovery of unauthorized wage deductions. The Authority passed an ex‑parte order and the respondent appealed under Section 17 before the District Judge. While the appeal was pending, the Central Administrative Tribunal…

The appellants, shop‑keepers leasing commercial premises in Chandigarh, challenged a steep increase in rent from Rs.2,671 to Rs.14,000 per month, arguing that the Union Territory lacked jurisdiction because the Central Government had not framed rules under the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952. T…

The Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972 exempts tea estates from its provisions. Under Section 26 the State Government framed rules in 1973, and in 1986 added a proviso to Rule 3 prohibiting transfer of land subservient to tea plantations without government permission. A 1990 circular further directed r…

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TN EB) contracted Bridge Tunnel Constructions to build inter‑connecting tunnels for the Suruliyar Hydroelectric Project. After the contract was completed late, a dispute arose over additional payments. The respondent invoked the arbitration clause (clause 50) and appointed a sole arbit…

Constable Kuldeep Singh was dismissed in 1991 after a departmental enquiry found him guilty of misappropriating Rs 200 of Rs 1,000 allegedly received from a factory owner for payment to three labourers. The enquiry did not produce any of the labourers, relying instead on prior statements under Rule 16(3) of the Delhi P…

The Collector, under the Punjab Security of Land Tenures Act, 1953, declared land held by Prem Nath Maira surplus in 1960 and allotted it to landless persons, who have possessed it since 1976. The Haryana Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972 was amended in 1976 inserting Section 12(3), which vests such surplus lands in t…

The appellants, employees of Swatantra Bharat Mill, were charged and suspended in 1986 while an industrial dispute was pending before the Industrial Tribunal. The management filed an application under Section 33(1) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, seeking permission to dismiss the employees after the enquiry. The …

Vidyadhar, the plaintiff, bought land from Defendant No.2 who had earlier executed a document styled "Kararkharedi" in favour of Defendant No.1, claiming it to be a mortgage by conditional sale. The plaintiff sued for redemption of that mortgage or specific performance, while Defendant No.1 contended that the document …

The testator S.P. Sadanandan bequeathed specific property to his two sons and appointed his wife, elder son and a chartered accountant as executors. After the chartered accountant relinquished, the widow and elder son remained as joint executors and obtained probate. The elder son executed a possessory mortgage of the …

The Supreme Court heard Special Leave Petitions filed by dairy owners (including Ramji Patel) who had set up dairies in the villages of Lalpur and Gwarighat, which were earlier listed as "excepted villages" under the Madhya Pradesh Cattle (Control) Act, 1978. The petitioners argued that a municipal resolution dated 21‑…

In a mortgage suit, a preliminary decree dated 18 November 1968 ordered the defendants to pay Rs.24,000 in four annual instalments, with the first instalment due on 31 March 1969. The decree allowed the plaintiff to apply for a final decree for sale of the mortgaged property upon any default, subject to Section 34 of t…

The respondents, who had been appointed on an ad‑hoc basis, filed writ petitions challenging their retrenchment. The Allahabad High Court set aside the retrenchment orders and directed regularisation of their services, a decision later confirmed by the Supreme Court on May 10, 1991. The corporation appealed, arguing th…

The appellants were appointed as Assistant Engineers on daily wages and later placed on a regular pay scale under Section 6(3) of the Bihar Regional Development Authority Act, 1981. The Authority sought to regularise their services, but the Government referred the matter to the Public Service Commission, which did not …

The State of Uttar Pradesh challenged the levy imposed on Sri Laxman Rice Mills under the U.P. Rice and Paddy (Levy and Regulation of Trade) Order, 1985, contending that the levy was effective from the night of 30 September/1 October 1995 and therefore covered the rice stock already held by the millers. The State argue…

The case concerned teachers who were employed by District Boards and Zilla Parishads in Punjab and whose schools were taken over by the Government of Punjab in 1957‑58. The deed of takeover stipulated that the government was under no obligation to retain the existing staff and that any staff taken on would be treated a…

The plaintiff Deva Ram sued Ishwar Chand for Rs 6,300 as sale price of a land, but the trial court held the document was only an agreement for sale and that the defendants were tenants, dismissing the suit. The plaintiff then filed a second suit for possession of the same land; the trial court dismissed it as barred by…

Y.D. Bagde, a judicial officer of the Maharashtra subordinate judiciary, was charged with corrupt practices and an enquiry officer found the charges not proved, recommending reinstatement. The High Court's Disciplinary Committee disagreed, issued a show‑cause notice and recommended dismissal without giving Bagde a hear…

The Supreme Court considered two civil appeals arising from partition suits that were pending when a village was notified for consolidation under the Uttar Pradesh Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1967. The appellants argued that the notification and the resulting abatement under Section 5(2) of the Act nullified both th…

Kondiba Dagadu Kadam filed a suit for specific performance of a sale agreement which was dismissed by the trial court. The first appellate court reversed the dismissal, relying on two attesting witnesses who testified that the agreement was executed by thumb impression. The High Court, on a second appeal, re‑appraised …

The plaintiff, a registered money lender, sued the appellant and his father (defendant 2) for recovery of a loan advanced through a cheque drawn on the plaintiff’s bank account. The trial court decreed only against the father, holding that the appellant had not approached the plaintiff and that the father was not his a…

The Kerala Bar Council’s five‑year term expired on 27 January 1997. It sought a six‑month extension from the Bar Council of India (BCI), which circulated a resolution under Rule 6 of the BCI Rules on 13 January 1997. Only four of the eighteen BCI members approved before the expiry, falling short of the required majorit…

The land was jointly owned by Nand Lal and Bassia; Bassia sold his undivided share to three persons. Suram Singh, son of the other joint owner, filed a pre-emption suit which was decreed in his favour and he deposited the required amount. He later sued the purchasers' successors for a declaration of ownership, and the …

The respondents, former employees of the State of Punjab who retired before 31 March 1985, sought higher pensionary benefits based on a Government of Punjab notification dated 9 July 1985 that granted enhanced dearness allowance and related benefits to employees retiring on or after that date. The Punjab & Haryana High…

The respondent, a subordinate judicial officer in Uttar Pradesh, was compulsorily retired at age 58 on the basis of an adverse remark recorded by an Inspecting Judge. He challenged the retirement, arguing that the Uttar Pradesh Judicial Officers (Retirement on Superannuation) Rules, 1992—framed under Article 309 of the…

The appellants, two lower‑division clerks, were transferred in 1976 from the Rehabilitation Department to the Posts & Telegraph (P&T) Department in public interest. Their transfer orders stated that past service would be counted for all purposes except seniority. Under the P&T time‑bound promotion scheme, officials who…

The Government absorbed central civil servants into public enterprises and offered them retirement benefits, including the option to commute one‑third of their pension or, in some cases, the entire pension. Petitioners who had commuted the full pension were denied the restoration of the one‑third commuted portion under…

Kartik Malhar was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC and sentenced to life imprisonment based primarily on the testimony of Fulmani, the widow of the deceased, after two other eye‑witnesses turned hostile. The appellant argued that a conviction could not rest on a single, highly interested witness and that the l…

Mrs. Paramjit Kaur filed a habeas corpus petition under Article 32 of the Constitution alleging that her husband, Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human‑rights activist, was abducted by persons in police uniforms in broad daylight in Amritsar. The petition also highlighted serious allegations that the Punjab police had been cre…

Sangappa Kalyanappa Bangi, a tenant, applied for occupancy rights under Section 45 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961. While the proceedings were pending, he executed a will bequeathing his tenancy rights to a third party, and later died. The Land Tribunal and the Appellate Authority held that the tenant's wife an…

The Federation of Customs House Agents Association and others filed a writ petition challenging Regulation 8 of the Customs House Agents Licensing Regulations, 1984, which permitted the grant of a temporary licence to act as a customs house agent without first passing the qualifying examination required under earlier r…

A bus conductor was dismissed after a departmental inquiry found him guilty of issuing short‑distance tickets to eleven passengers. The dismissal was challenged before the U.P. State Public Services Tribunal, which upheld it, and subsequently before the Allahabad High Court, which reinstated the conductor with only 25%…

The appellant mortgaged an industrial plot and failed to deposit the decree amount, leading to a foreclosure suit and auction of the property. The auction sale was confirmed by the trial court, but the appellant challenged it under Order 21 Rule 90 and later deposited amounts during the pendency of appeals, claiming pr…

The U.P. State Road Transport Corporation removed driver Subhash Chandra Sharma from service for a serious misconduct involving intimidation of an assistant cashier while intoxicated. The Labour Court, after finding the departmental inquiry valid, substituted the removal with a lesser penalty of one wage‑increment stop…

S.K.G. Sugar Ltd., a sugar factory with a reserved area under the Bihar Sugarcane (Regulation of Supply and Purchase) Act, 1981, paid the Central Government‑fixed minimum price of Rs.13.92 per quintal for sugarcane as prescribed in the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966. The State Government, acting in its statutory capac…

The respondent, a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in the Andhra Pradesh Animal Husbandry Department, filed an application seeking a promotion panel for the post of Assistant Director under the then‑applicable Rule 4 of the A.P. Subordinate Service Rules. The Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal directed the Government t…

The petitioner entered into a contract to sell agricultural land to the respondent, who defaulted, leading to a decree for specific performance directing the respondent to pay earnest money and damages within three months. After a delay of about seven and a half years, the respondent applied to rescind the decree and s…

Shiv Kumar Joshi, a member of the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme, complained before the District Consumer Forum that the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner delayed payment of his provident fund, alleging deficiency in service. The Commissioner appealed, arguing that the scheme was not a "service" under the Consumer…

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. submitted draft standing orders for certification under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. The draft was partially certified, and the clause on representation of a workman in disciplinary proceedings was left unmodified, thereby retaining the Model Standing Orders p…

The appellant, a full‑time vocational teacher, was appointed in June 1990 with the pay‑scale of Rs.1640‑2900 but was subsequently placed on a lower scale of Rs.1400‑2600 by the Directorate of Education. He challenged this denial, arguing that he possessed the requisite qualifications and that similarly situated teacher…

Tulip Park Co‑operative Housing Society Ltd filed a complaint before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, alleging that the builder, SAi Overseas Import and Export, delivered only 29,788.34 sq ft of saleable area instead of the 34,361 sq ft stipulated in their agr…

ICICI filed an application under Section 19 of the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 seeking recovery of about Rs 36.5 crore from Grapco Industries Ltd. and others. The Debts Recovery Tribunal, on the same day, issued an ex‑parte injunction restraining the respondents from alienating h…

Petitioner Nirmala Jagdishchandra Kabra held a contract carriage permit but was alleged to be operating the vehicle as a stage carriage by collecting individual fares, violating the permit conditions. The Motor Vehicle Inspector seized and detained the vehicle under Section 207(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Kabra…

The respondents, all junior copyists appointed on the same day, sought parity of pay with a colleague, Shankar Bose, who had been transferred to the Secretariat Department and received a special overtime allowance of Rs. 50, which later merged into his revised pay scale, giving him a higher salary than his seniors. The…

The Chandigarh Administration allotted 10.5 acres of land to the managing society for 99 years in 1975, fixing the ground rent at Rs 100 per acre per annum, which was lower than the rate mandated by Rule 13 of the Chandigarh Lease‑hold of Sites and Buildings Rules, 1973. In 1991 the Estate Officer issued a notice deman…

The land originally owned by Smt. Kokilla was acquired by the State under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, with a notification on 15 April 1928 and a declaration on 28 July 1928 for a public purpose. Compensation was paid and, under Section 16 of the Act, the land vested in the State free of all encumbrances, extinguish…

The appellant purchased an undivided interest in a 106‑acre parcel where the respondent was the tenant in actual possession. A revenue forum initially held both parties to be tenants in common, but a later appellate order declared the appellant not to be a tenant, making the respondent the sole tenant. The appellant so…

The Balmokand Khatri Educational and Industrial Trust challenged the acquisition of its land by the State of Punjab, arguing that the government illegally dispensed with the enquiry required under Section 5-A of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 by invoking the urgency clause in Section 17(4) for the purpose of providing …

The case concerned a claim by Ahmed Ebrahim, a Burmese citizen, that he had purchased six lakh shares of Khatiawad Industries Ltd., a company declared an evacuee property in 1959, and that the declaration was illegal because notice under Section 7 read with Rule 6 of the Administration of Evacuee Property Act, 1950, ha…

The Steel Authority of India sued New Marine Coal Co. to recover Rs 1,13,000 for coal supplied under an agreement that required Grade‑I coal between Dec 1962 and June 1967. Instead, Grade‑II coal was delivered but the plaintiff collected the price of Grade‑I, and the contract contained a clause permitting adjustment of…

Sant Singh appealed against a notice issued under Section 5 of the U.P. Imposition of Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1960, contending that a sale of 10 acres 33 cents to his minor daughter before the appointed day (24 January 1971) and a transfer of 13.47 acres to a private temple after that date should be excluded from…

Abdul Qadir, as successor of an evacuee property declared under the Custodian of Evacuee Property Act, 1950, claimed adverse possession over land and sought to be recorded as sirdar and bhumidar in two khatas. The Consolidation Officer and Settlement Officer initially upheld his claim, but the Deputy Director reversed,…

The land originally owned by Lilachand Bhandari was hypothecated to Hirachand in 1942. Hirachand leased the land to respondents No.2 and No.3 in 1947‑48, making them tenants under the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948. Respondent No.2 purchased the equity of redemption on 27 December 1949, thereby becomin…

Dr. Ashok Kumar Maheshwari, a Demonstrator in the Pharmacy Department of a Government Medical College, filed a writ petition with five colleagues seeking that at least fifty percent of Lecturer posts be filled by promotion of Demonstrators, relying on an alleged promise by the Uttar Pradesh State Government and the Dir…

The State of Karnataka, under Section 39 of the Mysore Fire Force Act, 1964, framed special recruitment rules requiring a qualifying examination for promotion to Leading Fireman. Later, the Government adopted a policy of seniority‑cum‑merit promotion and amended the Karnataka Civil Services (General Recruitment) Rules,…

The appellants, permanent Junior Scale Stenographers, sought promotion to Senior Scale Stenographer. Only six candidates qualified a prescribed test, but the State Recruitment Board recommended an additional 26 candidates whose performance was nearest to the standard. The Government initially did not act, later amended…

Arun Kumar Agarwal and others filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking the cancellation of a 1,000 MW thermal power project at Mangalore and the registration of a FIR for alleged corruption. The High Court, without detailed analysis, directed the CBI to investigate based on thirteen points of alleged s…

Mahabir Prasad Singh filed a civil suit for recovery of possession before the Additional District Judge, Delhi. The respondent, Jacks Aviation Pvt. Ltd., sought a suo motu transfer of the case because its counsel was boycotting the court under a Bar Association resolution, but the trial judge dismissed the transfer app…

Ramujarey, a railway employee appointed as Khalasi in 1964 and later promoted to Semi‑Skilled and Skilled Fitter after passing trade tests, was reverted by an order dated 18‑April‑1980 to the post of Khalasi. He challenged the reversion in a regular suit, which was decreed in his favour, and subsequently filed a claim …

The appellant, sister of Bham Faisal Gulam Mohammed, filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his preventive detention under Section 3(1) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974. The detenu was arrested for attempting to smuggle diamonds and was supplied with grounds o…

The appellant, Rais Ahmad, filed a writ petition under Article 226 before the Allahabad High Court. His counsel had obtained leave of absence from the Chief Justice on the ground of illness up to 23 April 1996 and sent an illness slip for the hearing scheduled on 24 April 1996, but the slip was not brought to the notic…

The Nagpur Improvement Trust appointed and promoted several employees to the post of Assistant Engineer (Civil) despite the State Government not having framed any rules under Section 21 of the Nagpur Improvement Trust Act, 1936 prescribing conditions for such appointments. The Bombay High Court quashed the promotions, …

The appellant, a government employee, applied for voluntary retirement under a scheme and his request was accepted by the employer on 30 July 1997, but he was not relieved from service until 26 September 1997. Before being relieved, he sent a letter on 7 August 1997 withdrawing his retirement request, which the employe…

The appellant, S.M. Jahubar Sa Thik, was detained under Section 3(1)(i) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 on 4 November 1997 and a declaration under Section 9(1) was made on 27 November 1997. He filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution challengin…