April 2026 - Page 3 of 11 - Supreme Court of India Judgements

May 15, 2026 4:56 am

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 498A and 494 read with Section 34 — Cruelty and bigamy — Family members of husband — Allegations against in-laws must disclose specific acts of demand, threat, or physical assault, not mere generalised statements of presence or encouragementPenal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 494 — Bigamy — Liability for bigamy does not extend to persons other than the spouse who contracted the second marriage, unless there is evidence of their active participation, facilitation, or encouragement of the marriage — Mere knowledge of the second marriage is insufficient.

Apr 27, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 412 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SIVARAMAN NAIR AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF KERALA AND ANOTHER ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Augustine George Masih, JJ. )…

Waqf

Wakf Act, 1995 — Section 83(9) — Revision — Jurisdiction — High Court in revision re-appreciated entire evidence, substituted its own findings, disregarded crucial material like recitals in partition deed and admissions of a party, and wrongly shifted onus on defendant — Such re-appreciation beyond scope of revisional powers — Impugned judgment unsustainable.

Apr 27, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 413 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH A.P. STATE WAKF BOARD THROUGH CHAIRPERSON Vs. JANAKI BUSAPPA AND OTHERS ( Before : M.M. Sundresh and Augustine George Masih, JJ.…

Land Acquisition

Land Acquisition and Development — Public Purpose De-reservation — Subject land originally earmarked for High School was de-reserved by competent authority due to insufficient area; subsequent sale to private individuals was upheld by civil courts and its finality was not challenged.

Apr 25, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 389 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PAWAN GARG AND OTHERS Vs. SOUTH DELHI MUNICIPAL CORPORATION ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

Contempt

Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 — Sections 2(c), 19 — Criminal Contempt — Scandalising the court — An advocate’s public allegations against a sitting judge, made via a press conference and repeated in court applications, can constitute criminal contempt by scandalising the court, lowering its authority, and interfering with judicial proceedings — Such conduct is unbecoming of a legal professional and undermines public confidence in the judiciary.

Apr 25, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 390 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH NILESH C. OJHA Vs. HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY THROUGH SECRETARY AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep…

Service

Recruitment Rules and Advertisement — Essential Qualifications — Work Experience — In absence of a specific rule or advertisement provision, a recruiting agency cannot relax essential eligibility criteria by treating a higher qualification as a replacement for a mandatory essential qualification — A preference for a higher qualification operates only for eligible and meritorious candidates and does not override or supplant the primary requirement of essential eligibility.

Apr 25, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 391 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH HIMAKSHI Vs. RAHUL VERMA AND OTHERS ( Before : J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No. 5942…

Labour Cases

Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 — Section 10 — Relief of back wages and regularisation — Employee illegally terminated, ordered reinstatement with back wages by Labour Commissioner and Industrial Court — Employer challenged, but interim order for back wages deposit was made and employee reinstated as daily wager — Employee sought regularisation after completing 180 days of service, granted by Industrial Court from the date of 180 days completion as per settlement clause — Employer failed to comply timely, only regularising employee on a sanctioned post after many years, imposing new conditions contrary to prior orders — Supreme Court held that employer cannot impose new conditions limiting regularisation contrary to earlier unchallenged orders and settlement terms, and reversed High Court’s decision setting aside back wages order.

Apr 25, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 392 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BALAJI MADHUKAR KONKANWAR Vs. MAHARASHTRA STATE ROAD TRANSPORT CORPORATTION ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, JJ. ) Civil…

Arbitration

Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 34 — Challenge to Arbitral Award — Legal Representatives — The Arbitration Act is a complete code for dispute resolution — Legal representatives of a deceased party are entitled to challenge an arbitral award under Section 34 of the Act, as the Act envisions continuity of proceedings after a party’s death and makes awards enforceable by or against legal representatives — Denying this right would render legal representatives remediless while making them liable to fulfill the award, contradicting the Act’s purpose.

Apr 25, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 393 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH V.K. JOHN Vs. S. MUKANCHAND BOTHRA AND HUF (DIED) REPRESENTED BY LRS. AND OTHERS ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Vipul…

Service

Public Employment — Recruitment — Medical Unfitness — Suppression of Material Facts — A candidate found medically unfit for a post, specifically for knock knees, cannot retain an appointment if this vital fact was suppressed, especially when the initial appointment and subsequent reinstatement were based on either flawed processes or non-disclosure of disqualifying conditions — The principle of “fraud unravels everything” applies, and an appointment vitiated by the suppression of a disqualifying medical condition cannot be sustained.

Apr 25, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 394 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH AND OTHERS Vs. AJAY KUMAR MALIK ( Before : Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N. V. Anjaria, JJ. )…

State Laws

Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950 — Section 132 — Prohibition of Bhumidhari rights — Land originally recorded as Category-6 (barren/non-agricultural) that was later purportedly re-categorised to Category-5 (cultivable) on the basis of an order by the Sub-Divisional Officer, was found to be public utility land (khalihan and pasture) falling under Section 132, meaning no Bhumidhari rights could be conferred and any patta (lease) granted would be void ab initio.

Apr 25, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 395 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BABU SINGH Vs. CONSOLIDATION OFFICER AND OTHERS ( Before : Prashant Kumar Mishra and N.V. Anjaria, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No.…

Evidence Act

Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 112 — Presumption of legitimacy — Birth during marriage being conclusive proof of legitimacy — While Section 112 raises a conclusive presumption, it is rebuttable — Modern scientific advancements like DNA testing, where conclusive and undisputed, can override this presumption, especially when the child’s legitimacy is not the sole issue and the test is conducted with consent.

Apr 25, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 399 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH NIKHAT PARVEEN @ KHUSBOO KHATOON Vs. RAFIQUE@SHILLU ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No…

You missed

Direct Taxation Income Tax Act

Income Tax Act, 1961 — Section 147 and 148 — Reopening of assessment — Validity — Tangible material — Change of opinion — Assessing Officer has no power to review an assessment; reassessment must be based on tangible material, not a mere change of opinion — The discovery of fresh information during a survey, which reveals the true nature of a transaction and suggests income has escaped assessment, can form the basis for reopening an assessment, even if certain disclosures were made during the original assessment.

May 14, 2026 sclaw

Matrimonial

Wife’s pursuit of professional career and desire to provide safe environment for child are not grounds for cruelty or desertion. -Family Law — Divorce — Grounds — Cruelty and Desertion — Wife’s pursuit of professional career and desire to provide safe environment for child are not grounds for cruelty or desertion.

May 14, 2026 sclaw

Constitution Education

Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 19(1)(a) and Article 21A — Right to education — Medium of instruction — Freedom of speech and expression includes the right to receive information in a comprehensible manner — Education must be imparted in a language that the child understands best — Right to primary education in a language of choice is part of freedom of speech and expression — State cannot impose controls on such choice.

May 14, 2026 sclaw

Accident

Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Compensation — Enhancement — Deceased was an engineering student with good academic record and potential future earnings — High Court enhanced compensation but it was found to be on the lower side — The Supreme Court assessed the monthly income at Rs. 12,000/-, added 40% for future prospects, deducted half for personal expenses, and applied a multiplier of 18 — Compensation under conventional heads was also enhanced — The motorcycle damage was awarded as per the surveyor’s report.

May 14, 2026 sclaw

Month: April 2026

You missed