Month: March 2026

Coal Allocation and Supply — Dispute regarding supply of coal and compensation for wrongfully suspended supply — Supreme Court clarified that Union of India and SECL were obligated to supply coal at the current price/prevalent policy as of either April 9, 2014, or May 17, 2019, and gave the choice to the Respondent/PIL to select one of these dates for the purpose of determining the current price and prevalent policy for the proposed Fuel Supply Agreement for the suspended period — The Fuel Supply Agreement was to be entered into within four weeks of the Respondent’s choice, with coal supply being on a normal coal linkage basis, not tapering.

2026 INSC 250 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH UNION OF INDIA Vs. PRAKASH INDUSTRIES LIMITED AND ANOTHER ( Before : Pankaj Mithal and S.V.N. Bhatti, JJ. ) Miscellaneous Application…

. Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 482 — Quashing of FIR — High Court quashed FIR during investigation based on speculation and without awaiting forensic report on alleged forged documents — Such action is unjustified and premature, especially when allegations of forgery and fraud are made and expert examination is underway.

2026 INSC 252 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH SHARLA BAZLIEL Vs. BALDEV THAKUR AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No(s)….of 2026…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 319 — Summoning additional accused — Trial Court rejected application to summon additional accused — High Court set aside order and directed summoning — Supreme Court found Trial Court applied stricter standard than necessary — Trial Court erred in isolating inconsistencies and not considering cumulative weight of evidence — Supreme Court held testimony of complainant and two other witnesses, despite inconsistencies, met strong and cogent evidence standard for summoning under Section 319 — Judgments of lower courts set aside and persons directed to be produced as additional accused.

  2026 INSC 251 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH MOHAMMAD KALEEM Vs. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH AND OTHERS ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Augustine George Masih, JJ. )…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Quashing of FIR — Essential conditions — If allegations in FIR or complaint, even if taken at face value, do not prima facie constitute an offence or make out a case against the accused, quashing is justified — Vague and general allegations are insufficient to establish a prima facie case.

2025 INSC 1168 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH SANJAY D. JAIN AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS ( Before : B.R. Gavai, CJI., K. Vinod Chandran and…

Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Order 41 Rule 27 — Additional evidence in appeal — Appellate court can allow additional evidence only in exceptional circumstances as laid down in the rule, such as where the court needs it to pronounce judgment or for any other substantial cause — Parties do not have a right to produce additional evidence and it cannot be introduced at their convenience — The provision is not meant to fill gaps in evidence or to pronounce judgment in a particular way — If the appellate court can pronounce a satisfactory judgment based on existing evidence, additional evidence is not required — The High Court rightly rejected the application for additional evidence as it was without merit and did not satisfy the conditions under Order 41 Rule 27 CPC

2026 INSC 211 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH GOBIND SINGH AND OTHERS Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Civil…

Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 14 — Manifest Arbitrariness — Srimati Radhika Sinha Institute and Sachchidanand Sinha Library (Requisition & Management) Act, 2015 — Held, the Act is manifestly arbitrary and violative of Article 14 as it involves complete vesting of property, dissolution of trust, absence of necessity or mismanagement, illusory compensation, and lack of guiding principles — State’s action was excessive, unreasoned and disproportionate to the stated object of better management and development.

2026 INSC 219 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ANURAG KRISHNA SINHA Vs. STATE OF BIHAR AND ANOTHER ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) — Section 50 — Compliance with search provisions — Accused must be apprised of legal right to be searched before a Magistrate or Gazetted Officer, not a Police Officer — Offering a third option to be searched before a Police Officer contravenes Section 50 and vitiates the entire trial — High Court correctly set aside conviction based on non-compliance with Section 50

2026 INSC 240 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH Vs. SURAT SINGH ( Before : Pankaj Mithal and Prasanna B. Varale, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 166 — Compensation — Deduction of group insurance benefits — Whether amounts received by claimants under employer-provided group insurance or other contractual/social security benefits can be deducted from compensation awarded under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Held, such benefits arise from independent contractual relationships and lack nexus with statutory compensation for death in a motor vehicle accident — Principle of balancing loss and gain cannot diminish statutory entitlement to just compensation — High Court rightly set aside deductions made by the Tribunal towards group insurance amounts.

2026 INSC 241 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE MANAGING DIRECTOR, KSRTC Vs. P. CHANDRAMOULI AND OTHERS ( Before : Pankaj Mithal and Prasanna B. Varale, JJ. ) Civil…

Service Matters

Recruitment Rules — Interpretation of — Anganwadi Workers applying for Supervisor posts — Eligibility and quota for graduates vs. SSLC holders — Amendment to rules increasing quota for Anganwadi Workers and earmarking a portion for graduates — Whether graduates are excluded from the general quota for Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and 10 years’ experience — Supreme Court held that the amendment did not exclude graduate Anganwadi Workers from applying for the 29% vacancies available to Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and 10 years’ experience — The 11% quota for graduates was carved out from the open recruitment quota, not from the existing quota for Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and experience — The selection process did not give any weightage to graduates, and the number of non-graduates selected indicated a level playing field.

2026 INSC 242 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SHINY C.J. AND OTHERS Vs. SHALINI SREENIVASAN AND OHTERS ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ. ) Civil…

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