Category: Cr P C

Criminal Procedure — Institution of FIR — Quashing of FIR — Abuse of process of law — High Court quashed FIR based only on Section 17A of the PC Act, 1988, without considering other grounds raised by the accused — Supreme Court finds this approach incomplete and remands the matter for reconsideration of all grounds, emphasizing that procedural lapses like failure to obtain prior approval, if applicable, can render an FIR void ab initio.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SURENDRA DHARIWAL Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND ANOTHER ETC RESPONDENT(S) ( Before : J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal Nos. 3717-3718…

Criminal Procedure — Delay in Judgment Pronouncement — Supreme Court directs High Courts to adhere to existing guidelines for timely pronouncement of reserved judgments and reiterates specific directions for cases where judgment is not delivered within three months of being reserved, including placing the matter before the Chief Justice for reassignment if not pronounced within two weeks thereafter.

2025 INSC 1039 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAVINDRA PRATAP SHAHI Vs. STATE OF U.P. AND OTHERS ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra, JJ. ) Criminal…

Penal Code, 1860 — Section 498A — Cruelty by husband or relatives of husband — Allegations in FIR were vague, general, and filed one year after admitted separation of the parties — No specific instances of cruelty were mentioned — Criminal proceedings are liable to be quashed. Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 482 — Quashing of FIR — Court can quash FIR if allegations, taken at face value, do not constitute any offence — Vague and general allegations of marital discord, without specific instances, do not prima facie constitute an offence under Section 498A IPC.

2025 INSC 926 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH ANURAG VIJAYKUMAR GOEL Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND ANOTHER ( Before : B.R. Gavai, CJI., K. Vinod Chandran and N. V.…

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act) — Sections 3/4(2), 42 — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 376(3) — Appeal against suspension of sentence by High Court — Supreme Court held High Court was not justified. Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 389 — Suspension of Sentence — Scope of — High Court while considering suspension of sentence must adhere to parameters laid down in law — Prima facie satisfaction about chances of acquittal is necessary, not reappreciation of evidence or picking loopholes.

2025 INSC 935 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH JAMNALAL Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND ANOTHER ( Before : B.V. Nagarathna and K. V. Viswanathan, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No…of…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 482 — Quashing of proceedings — High Court quashed proceedings under SC/ST Act, 1989, against respondents — Appellant contended High Court erred in exercising jurisdiction, overlooking evidence, and conducting roving inquiry — Court held High Court’s scope under Section 482 is limited to determining if allegations disclose a cognizable offence, and it should not engage in detailed evidence evaluation at pre-trial stage — However, if allegations are baseless, motivated by personal vendetta, or lack requisite ingredients for an offence, High Court can quash proceedings to prevent abuse of process.

2025 INSC 886 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH KONDE NAGESHWAR RAO Vs. A. SRIRAMA CHANDRA MURTY AND ANOTHER ( Before : B.R. Gavai, CJI. and Augustine George Masih, J.…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 482 — Quashing of criminal proceedings — Second quashing petition — Maintainability — Not permissible to raise previously available grounds in a subsequent petition to effect a review of an earlier order, violating Section 362 CrPC — Exception is when there has been a change in circumstances.

2025 INSC 888 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M.C. RAVIKUMAR Vs. D.S. VELMURUGAN AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No(s). ….of…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 174 — Inquiry by Police into cause of unnatural death — Requirement of fair and impartial investigation — Evidence considered — Inconsistencies in CCTV footage, suspicious medical findings, and failure to preserve crucial forensic evidence indicated failures in local investigation.

2025 INSC 893 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SUKDEB SAHA Vs. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Criminal…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 156(3) — FIR Registration — Application to Magistrate without approaching Police/SP — While a Magistrate ought not ordinarily entertain an application under Section 156(3) CrPC directly without the informant having availed and exhausted remedies under Section 154(3) CrPC, the Magistrate is competent to direct FIR registration if allegations disclose cognizable offence — Such an order is not without jurisdiction and not vitiated on this count, but it is a procedural irregularity.

2025 INSC 895 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ANURAG BHATNAGAR AND ANOTHER Vs. STATE (NCT OF DELHI) AND ANOTHER ( Before : Pankaj Mithal and S.V.N. Bhatti, JJ. )…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 319 — Power to proceed against other persons appearing to be guilty of offence — Application for summoning additional accused — High Court quashed summons issued against them — Whether High Court was justified — Held, no. — Evidence of eyewitnesses, though prima facie, suggested complicity of the applicant, assigning specific role and indicating presence at scene armed with weapon of offence — High Court applied standard of conviction rather than standard of satisfaction required for summoning — Standard for summoning is more than prima facie case but less than conviction — Summoning order restored.

2025 INSC 860 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SHIV BARAN Vs. STATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Joymalya Bagchi, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.…

Judicial Process — Misuse of process — Challenging bail conditions previously offered voluntarily — Accused offering substantial deposits to secure bail and subsequently challenging the onerous nature of conditions or the counsel’s authority to make such offers — This practice is condemned for undermining the judicial process and preventing consideration of bail applications on their merits — Such conduct leads to setting aside of bail orders and remittal for fresh consideration.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH KUNDAN SINGH Vs. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF CGST AND CENTRAL EXCISE ( Before : K.V. Viswanathan and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, JJ. ) Petition(s) for Special…

You missed