May 2026 - Page 4 of 8 - Supreme Court of India Judgements

May 27, 2026 4:17 pm

Hindu Succession Act, 1956 — Proviso to Section 6 (erstwhile) and Section 8 — Devolution of interest on Class I heirs upon intestate death of a male — If a male Hindu dies intestate leaving a Class I female heir, his interest in coparcenary property devolves by intestate succession under Section 8 and not by survivorship — A notional partition is deemed to take place for ascertaining the deceased’s share.

May 17, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 499 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH B.S. LALITHA AND OTHERS Vs. BHUVANESH AND OTHERS ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Augustine George Masih, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

Education

Medical Education — Relocation of Students — Financial Liability — Supreme Court intervened to protect academic future of students admitted to a college (SRMCH) facing deficiencies, by directing their relocation to other recognized colleges — The primary issue became the financial liability for the education provided at the transferee colleges.

May 16, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 488 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SOUMYA RANJAN PANDA AND OTHERS Vs. SUBHALAXMI DASH AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Civil…

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

2026 INSC 472 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SANAND PROPERTIES P. LTD. Vs. JT. COMMR. OF I.T. RANGE 6 AND OTHERS ( Before : J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan,…

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

2026 INSC 475 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ANN SAURABH DUTT Vs. LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAURABH IQBAL BAHADUR DUTT ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Civil…

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

2026 INSC 476 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PADAM MEHTA AND ANOTHER Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Civil…

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

2026 INSC 477 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MOHINDER KAUR (D) THROUGH L.R. Vs. BRIJ LAL ARORA AND OTHERS ( Before : S.V.N. Bhatti and Vijay Bishnoi, JJ. )…

Service

. Canara Bank Officer Employees’ (Discipline and Appeal) Regulations, 1976 — Regulation 10 — Common Proceedings — The word “may” in Regulation 10, which empowers the competent authority to direct common disciplinary proceedings against multiple employees, is directory and not mandatory — This interpretation allows for discretion to be exercised by the employer based on the circumstances and the varying roles of the employees involved — The failure to hold a joint inquiry does not automatically vitiate individual disciplinary proceedings.

May 14, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 478 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH CANARA BANK Vs. PREM LATHA UPPAL (DEAD) THROUGH LRS. ( Before : S.V.N. Bhatti and Vijay Bishnoi, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

I B C

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 — Section 61 — Appeal against NCLT order — Requirement of certified copy of impugned order — Rules for filing appeal before NCLAT — Presentation of appeals under Rule 22 of NCLAT Rules, 2016 — Appeal must be accompanied by a certified copy of impugned order — Applying for certified copy before expiry of limitation period is crucial for excluding time taken to procure it — Failure to file certified copy or obtain exemption renders appeal incompetent — NCLAT wrongly condoned delay in filing and refiling appeal without ensuring compliance with essential requirements.

May 14, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 479 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ANGELWOODS APARTMENT ALLOTTEES ASSOCIATION Vs. M LALITHA AND ANOTHER ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ. ) Civil…

Land Acquisition National Highways Authority Act

National Highways Act, 1956 — Section 3A(1) and 3G(1) — Compensation — Applicability of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (2013 LA Act) — Held that provisions of 2013 LA Act regarding determination of compensation apply to land acquisition under NH Act.

May 14, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 480 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PROJECT DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HIGHWAYS AUTHORITY OF INDIA Vs. ALFA REMIDIS LTD. AND OTHERS ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod…

Cr P C

. Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Quashing of Criminal Proceedings — High Court’s power to quash — Allegations in complaint, even if taken at face value, do not prima facie constitute any offence or make out a case against the accused — High Court failed to exercise its power under Section 482 CrPC

May 14, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 481 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH NARAYANA HEALTH AND OTHERS Vs. THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND OTHERS ( Before : Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok Aradhe,…

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Constitution

Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 32 — Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Sections 154, 173 — Clubbing/Transfer of FIRs — Multiple FIRs registered against petitioners in different jurisdictions arising from same set of transactions relating to a real estate project — Held, multiplicity of FIRs and parallel investigations on same facts leads to avoidable multiplicity of proceedings, conflicting findings and serious prejudice to the accused — Principle laid down in T.T — Antony v — State of Kerala, (2001) 6 SCC 181, that there cannot be multiple FIRs for the same occurrence or transaction, squarely applies — FIR No. 30/2019 (EOW, Delhi) directed to be transferred and clubbed with FIR No. 439/2024 (Gurugram, Haryana) for investigation — Blanket direction restraining coercive steps in future FIRs declined, but petitioners permitted to avail remedies in law if future FIRs are based on the same transaction.

May 24, 2026 sclaw

Cr P C

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Abuse of Process of Court — Discharge of Accused — Vague Allegations — Where allegations in FIR and charge sheet are general and do not specify the role of the accused, continuation of criminal proceedings amounts to abuse of process of court and may cause prejudice.

May 24, 2026 sclaw

C P C

Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Section 2(2), Order 20 Rule 18 — Preliminary vs. Final Decree — A Preliminary Decree declares rights and liabilities, leaving actual results to be worked out in further proceedings — A Final Decree is passed after further inquiries, completely disposing of the suit — A Preliminary Decree cannot be executed directly unless it is partly final — Provisions of Order 20 Rule 18 allow a court to pass a Preliminary Decree declaring rights and giving further directions if partition cannot be conveniently made without further inquiry in suits for partition of immovable property — The Supreme Court noted that the High Court erred by focusing on the nomenclature of the decree rather than its executable portions, especially when the property was not divisible by metes and bounds.

May 24, 2026 sclaw

Constitution Narcotics Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 — Section 43-D(5) — Bail — Constitutional Courts’ power to grant bail — The Supreme Court reiterated that statutory restrictions on bail under the UAP Act do not oust the power of constitutional courts to grant bail on grounds of violation of fundamental rights, particularly the right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution — The Court emphasized that the rigors of Section 43-D(5) can “melt down” when there is no likelihood of trial completion within a reasonable time and the period of incarceration is substantial.

May 24, 2026 sclaw

Month: May 2026

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