Month: April 2024

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 420,120B and 34 – Territorial jurisdiction for the FIR -The Supreme Court quashed the FIR and all proceedings, concluding that the matter was civil, not criminal, and that Arunachal Pradesh lacked territorial jurisdiction – The Court found no evidence of a cognizable offence and deemed the dispute to be of a civil nature, suitable for resolution in a civil court – The Court applied the principle that civil disputes should not be converted into criminal complaints unless there is clear evidence of criminal intent or action – The FIR and subsequent proceedings were quashed, with the Court questioning why the State of Arunachal Pradesh pursued the case when the complainant did not challenge the Rajasthan High Court’s order.

(2024) INSC 317 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. KAMAL AGARWAL AND OTHERS ETC. — Respondent ( Before : Vikram…

Service Matters

Service Law – Appointment of Technical Assistants as Assistant Engineers in the PWD, Tamil Nadu, based on service and qualifications – Court reasoned that the appointments did not encroach upon the quota for direct recruits and were equitable, considering the long-standing practice and the need to fill vacancies – The judgment emphasizes the importance of adhering to established rules and procedures while also recognizing the practical considerations of government administration – The conclusion reaffirms the validity of the appointments made and the discretion of the executive in the absence of specific rules.

2024 INSC 306 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ASSOCIATION OF ENGINEERS AND OTHERS ETC. — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU AND OTHERS ETC. — Respondent ( Before…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Section 302 – Murder – Appellant was convicted for the murder – Supreme Court acquitted the appellant, giving him the benefit of doubt, as the prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt – The Court found inconsistencies in the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses and deemed them unreliable – The Court applied the principle that extra judicial confessions are weak evidence and require corroboration – The appellant was acquitted due to the prosecution’s inability to prove the charges with certainty.

2024 INSC 307 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DHARAMBIR @ DHARMA — Appellant Vs. STATE OF HARYANA — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. )…

Service Matters

Service Law – Termination – The Supreme Court found that the termination was unjustified and in violation of natural justice principles, as no disciplinary enquiry was conducted – The Court quashed the High Court’s judgments and the termination order, reinstated the appellant, and allowed the Institute to conduct disciplinary proceedings if desired.

2024 INSC 309 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SANDEEP KUMAR — Appellant Vs. GB PANT INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY GHURDAURI AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : B.R.…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 302 and 30 – Court found the eyewitnesses’ testimonies reliable and corroborated by medical evidence, dismissing the trivial contradictions raised by the appellant – The Court upheld the conviction based on the credibility of the eyewitnesses and the medical jurist’s testimony, despite the appellant’s claims of a fabricated case – The Supreme Court concluded that the impugned judgments were without infirmity and dismissed the appeal accordingly.

2024 INSC 308 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAMVIR @ SAKET SINGH Vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, JJ.…

Service Matters

Service Law – Selection Process – The main issue was whether the appellants’ appointments should be regularized after the merger of their posts with the regular establishment of the university – Court relied on UGC’s statutory authority and previous court decisions to conclude that the appellants should be continued after the merger – The appellants are to be reinstated to their posts, and any appointments made by the University under subsequent advertisements were subject to the outcome of this judgment. Disciplinary enquiries may proceed if necessary.

2024 INSC 303 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MEHER FATIMA HUSSAIN — Appellant Vs. JAMIA MILIA ISLAMIA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Pankaj…

Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 – Sections 34 and 37 – Curative petition – The Court found that the arbitral tribunal’s decision was not perverse or irrational and that the CMRS certificate did not conclusively prove that defects were cured within the cure period – The Court emphasized the tribunal’s domain to interpret the contract and the limited scope of judicial interference in arbitral awards – The Supreme Court concluded that the curative petition was maintainable and that there was no miscarriage of justice in restoring the arbitral award.

2024:INSC:292 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH DELHI METRO RAIL CORPORATION LTD. — Appellant Vs. DELHI AIRPORT METRO EXPRESS PVT. LTD. — Respondent ( Before : Dr Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud,…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Section 302, read with 34 – Murder – The Supreme Court found that the High Court did not properly address whether the Trial Court’s acquittal was a plausible conclusion from the evidence – The Supreme Court emphasized that the burden of proof lies with the prosecution and that the accused do not have to prove their innocence unless there is a statutory reverse onus – The Supreme Court concluded that the evidence did not warrant overturning the acquittal, as the Trial Court’s view was possible and not perverse.

2024 INSC 295 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BHUPATBHAI BACHUBHAI CHAVDA AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Section 302 – Murder – Dispute over a blocked pathway – The Court found no evidence of provocation by the deceased that would justify the appellants’ brutal attack, nor any exercise of the right to private defence – The Court applied principles from previous judgments to determine the lack of private defence and the presence of intention to cause harm – The Supreme Court concluded that the appellants’ actions were not in self-defence and that their intention was to inflict harm, affirming the lower courts’ decisions.

2024 INSC 294 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SUBHASH @ SUBANNA AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS — Respondent ( Before : Sudhanshu Dhulia and…

Consumer Law – Insurance Act, 1938 – Section 45 – Policy not to be called in question on ground of mis-statement after two years – The Court found no suppression of material facts and criticized the NCDRC for not requiring proper evidence from the respondent – The judgment discusses the principles of ‘uberrimae fidei’ (utmost good faith) and the burden of proof in insurance contracts – The Court concluded that the insurance company failed to prove the alleged suppression of facts, thus the repudiation was unjustified.

2024 INSC 296 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MAHAKALI SUJATHA — Appellant Vs. THE BRANCH MANAGER, FUTURE GENERALI INDIA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before…

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