Supreme Court of India Judgements

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Category: Acquittal

Acquittal

(IPC) – Ss 419, 353, 447 and 120B – Discharge – took photographs of case records from mobile phone of civil judge – Court sounds a note of caution for the appellant to be careful in future to avoid recurrence of similar incident and at the same time records a note of appreciation for the second respondent for not precipitating the matter further – After all, ‘to err is human but forgiving is divine’

Jun 3, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH NEVILLE DADI MASTER @ NEVILLE MASTER — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : S. Ravindra Bhat…

Acquittal

Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 – Section 3(1)(x) – Quashing of charge-sheet – Voluntarily causing hurt – There is no material worthy of consideration in this behalf except a bald statement that the complainant sustained multiple injuries “in his hand and other body parts” – If indeed the complainant’s version were to be believed, the IO ought to have asked for a medical report to support the same

Jun 3, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAMESH CHANDRA VAISHYA — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : S. Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta,…

Acquittal

Acquittal – Rape and murder of a six-year-old -There are, in fact, yawning gaps in the chain of circumstances rendering it far from being established- pointing to the guilt of the appellant – Needless to state, such responsibilities would be all the more heightened in cases of crimes involving severe punishments such as imprisonment for life or the sentence of death

Jun 3, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH PRAKASH NISHAD @ KEWAT ZINAK NISHAD — Appellant Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol,…

Acquittal

Acquittal – Murder – Testimony of witness – Mere chance witness, whose presence at the spot, at that hour, is not satisfactorily explained therefore, bearing in mind that he kept silent for unusually long i.e. for more than three and a half months, his testimony is not worthy of any credit

May 31, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAVI MANDAL — Appellant Vs. STATE OF UTTARAKHAND — Respondent ( Before : Hrishikesh Roy and Manoj Misra, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.511 of…

Acquittal Cr P C

(CrPC) – S 313 – (IPC) – Ss 302 read with 120B – Murder – Criminal Trial – Examination of accused – Failure to put material circumstances to the accused amounts to a serious irregularity – It will vitiate the trial if it is shown to have prejudiced the accused – Conviction and sentence is set aside – Appeal allowed.

May 14, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAJ KUMAR @ SUMAN — Appellant Vs. STATE (NCT OF DELHI) — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Rajesh Bindal, JJ. )…

Acquittal Evidence Act

Evidence Act, 1872 – Ss 101 and 106 – Burden of proof – Burden of proof is always with the prosecution – – Section 106 of the Act is an exception to the rule which is Section 101 of the Act, and it comes into play only in a limited sense where the evidence is of a nature which is especially within the knowledge of that person and then the burden of proving that fact shifts upon him that person.

May 9, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DINESH KUMAR — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF HARYANA — Respondent ( Before : Sudhanshu Dhulia and Sanjay Kumar, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.530…

Acquittal I P C

Complainant has attempted to turn a purely contractual dispute between the parties into a criminal case – Not only that, there is an inordinate delay in lodging the complaint – Complaint does not disclose that any of the ingredients of the offence complained of have been made out – Complaint bearing filed before the trial court under Section 403, 406, 420 and 120B of the IPC is dismissed.

May 7, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PRAKASH AGGARWAL — Appellant Vs. GANESH BENZOPLAST LIMITED AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai and Vikram Nath, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

Acquittal Cr P C Waqf

(CrPC) – Ss 472 and 482 – Wakf Act, 1995 – Ss 3(ee) and 52A – Quashing of criminal complaint – Section 52A cannot cover cases where leases of wakf properties had expired in the past and where the tenant or lessee was, at the time the amendment of 2013 came into force, in physical possession and facing civil proceedings for eviction – Appeal allowed.

May 7, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH P. V. NIDHISH AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs KERALA STATE WAKF BOARD AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : S. Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar…

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Service

Cochin University of Science and Technology Act, 1986 — Section 31(10) and 31(11) — Selection and Appointment — Validity of Rank List and Communal Rotation — Harmonious Construction — Section 31(10) stipulates that the Rank List remains valid for two years, and vacancies arising during this period “shall be filled up from the list so published” — Section 31(11) mandates that “Communal rotation shall be followed category-wise” — These sub-sections operate in distinct spheres but are not mutually exclusive; the Rank List’s validity period (Sub-sec 10) co-exists with the mandatory application of communal rotation (Sub-sec 11) for every appointment made therefrom — Interpreting Sub-section (11) as becoming operative only after the Rank List expires would render the reservation/rotation requirement otiose during the list’s validity, defeating legislative intent and violating the doctrine of harmonious construction. (Paras 5, 5.2, 5.4, 5.5, 5.5.1, 5.5.2

Dec 19, 2025 sclaw
Acquittal I P C

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) —Section 302 read with Sections 149 and 148 — Murder —Conviction affirmed by High Court — Appeal to Supreme Court — Sufficiency of evidence — Role of interested/related witnesses — Deposition of PW-4 (mother of deceased and alleged eyewitness) scrutinized closely — Material contradictions found in PW-4’s evidence regarding the manner of assault and who informed her — Failure of prosecution to examine key witness (deceased’s granddaughter, who initially informed PW-4) — Independent witnesses (PW-1, PW-2, PW-3 and PW-9) turned hostile — Recovery of weapons based on accused’s memorandum/statement rendered unreliable when supporting witnesses hostile. (Paras 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15)

Dec 19, 2025 sclaw
Constitution

Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 — Section 45A — Determination of contributions in certain cases — Preconditions for invoking Section 45A — Section 45A is a special provision for best-judgment assessment applicable only when an employer fails to submit, furnish, or maintain returns, particulars, registers, or records as required by Section 44, OR obstructs an Inspector or official in discharging duties under Section 45 — It is not an alternative mode of assessment available at the option of the Corporation — When records (ledgers, cash books, vouchers, etc.) are produced and the employer cooperates by attending multiple personal hearings, the mere allegation of inadequacy or deficiency of supporting documents does not satisfy the statutory threshold of “non-production” or “obstruction” to invoke Section 45A — Mere inadequacy of records does not confer jurisdiction under Section 45A. (Paras 14.6, 14.7, 24, 25, 27, 30)

Dec 19, 2025 sclaw
Tenders & Contracts

Tender and Contract — Eligibility Criteria — Interpretation of “prime contractor” and “in the same name and style” — Requirement of work experience — Where an NIT’s pre-qualification document requires “each prime contractor in the same name and style (tenderer)” to have completed previous work, and the term “prime contractor” is undefined, its meaning must be derived from common parlance as the tenderer primarily responsible for the contract offer; however, the requirement must be construed from the standpoint of a prudent businessman, considering the credentials and capacity to execute the work, not merely the name. (Paras 17, 20, 21.3)

Dec 19, 2025 sclaw