Month: May 2026

Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (NI Act) — Sections 138 and 141 — Quashing of criminal proceedings — Vicarious liability of office bearers — For a person other than the drawer or signatory of a dishonoured cheque to be prosecuted under Section 141 of the NI Act, it must be specifically averred in the complaint that such person was in charge of and responsible for the conduct of the business of the company or society at the time the offence was committed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S MANSI FINANCE (CHENNAI) LTD. Vs. M. LALITHA AND OTHERS ( Before : Prashant Kumar Mishra and N.V. Anjaria, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.…

Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Sections 34 and 37 — Scope of powers of Court to set aside or modify arbitral award — Modification of award is a limited power compared to annulment, aimed at achieving more just outcomes and avoiding hardship and delay, especially in India where litigation takes years — Appellate jurisdiction under Section 37 is coterminous with and as broad as jurisdiction under Section 34.

2026 INSC 546 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BHUPESH BHAYANA AND ANOTHER Vs. KUNAL SETH AND ANOTHER ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ. ) Civil…

Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Order 6 Rule 7 — Pleadings should not raise new claims or inconsistent allegations — A defendant cannot retract their initial stand taken in the written statement and introduce a completely new and contradictory case, especially after issues have been framed and the trial has commenced.

2026 INSC 545 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MONDIRA GHOSH Vs. CHAITALI GHOSH ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No………………of 2026 (@…

Service Matters

Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964 — Railway Services (Conduct) Rules, 1966 — Proviso to Rule 1(3) of CCS (Conduct) Rules clarifies that railway servants are Government servants, though different rules apply — Separate service rules are for administrative convenience and do not change their status.

2026 INSC 562 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BENCY JOHN Vs. KERALA STATE ELECTRICITY BOARD LTD AND OTHERS ( Before : Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma, JJ. )…

Societies Registration Act, 1860 — West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961 — Governing documents — By-laws — Clause 24 — Delegation of authority — Majority resolution — A resolution by majority of trustees in writing is valid and effectual as if passed at a meeting of trustees.

2026 INSC 554 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH HINDUSTAN MEDICAL INSTITUTION Vs. BIRLA CORPORATION LIMITED AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 235(2) — Conviction without hearing on sentence — High Court, after reversing an acquittal and convicting an accused for the first time, directed the Trial Judge to hear the accused on sentence and impose sentence — Such direction is contrary to law as the appellate court, when convicting for the first time, must hear the accused on sentence and impose it itself — It cannot remit the matter to the trial court for sentencing.

2026 INSC 559 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MUKESH KUMAR YADAV Vs. THE STATE (UT OF ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS) ETC. ( Before : K. V. Viswanathan and Vijay…

Criminal Law — Sentencing — Modification of Sentence — Conversion of life imprisonment to a fixed term is not considered an enhancement of sentence, thus not requiring a notice under Section 401 of the Criminal Procedure Code, especially when the fixed term is not less than what was imposed by modifying a life sentence.

2026 INSC 558 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MUNNA MOYUDDIN SHAIKH Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT ( Before : K. V. Viswanathan and Vijay Bishnoi, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.2686…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Quashing of FIR/Charge Sheet — Abuse of process of law — Repeated closure reports indicating civil dispute, subsequent investigation without Magistrate’s approval, and lack of clear evidence of criminal intent warrant quashing of proceedings.

2026 INSC 561 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PALINISWAMY VEERARAJA AND OTHERS Vs. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA AND ANOTHER ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, JJ.…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 147, 148, 436, 302/149, 324/34, 323, 379, 302/109, 436/109, 379/109, 324/109, 323/109 — Conviction for offences related to mass violence, murder, arson, and causing injury — Affirmation of conviction and sentence by High Court — Supreme Court found no merit in appeals and dismissed them, upholding concurrent findings of lower courts.

2026 INSC 560 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MAHENDRA RAI @ HARENDRA NARAIN SINGH AND OTHER ETC. Vs. THE STATE OF BIHAR ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Nongmeikapam…

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