Supreme Court of India Judgements

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Category: Cr P C

Cr P C

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) – Sections 397 and 401 read with Section 482 – Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Section 302 – Army Act, 1950 – Sections 69 and 125 – Murder- Consequence of the decision of the High Court is to foist an obligation on the Army Authorities to hold a court-martial despite a clear and unequivocal submission to the jurisdiction of the Court of Sessions – Accused shall be transferred from military custody to civil custody to face trial – Appeal allowed.

Feb 6, 2022 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF SIKKIM — Appellant Vs. JASBIR SINGH AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant, JJ.…

Cr P C

(CrPC) – Sections 372 and 378(4) – Appeal against order of acquittal – Victim has not to pray for grant of special leave to appeal, as the victim has a statutory right of appeal under Section 372 proviso and the proviso to Section 372 does not stipulate any condition of obtaining special leave to appeal like subsection (4) of Section 378 Cr.P.C. in the case of a complainant and in a case where an order of acquittal is passed in any case instituted upon complaint – Right provided to the victim to prefer an appeal against the order of acquittal is an absolute right

Jan 29, 2022 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH JOSEPH STEPHEN AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. SANTHANASAMY AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and Sanjiv Khanna, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

Cr P C

Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 – Section 3(1)(x) and 3(1)(xi) – Appeal against acquittal – Being the first appellate court, the High Court was required to re­appreciate the entire evidence on record and also the reasoning given by the learned Trial Court – It is well­ settled that the court of appeal has as wide powers of appreciation of evidence in an appeal against an order of acquittal. Remanded

Jan 23, 2022 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH GEETA DEVI — Appellant Vs. STATE OF U.P. AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagarathna, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

Cr P C

Awarding death sentence is an exception, and life imprisonment is the rule. In deciding whether a case falls within the category of the rarest of rare, the brutality, and/or the gruesome and/or heinous nature of the crime is not the sole criterion – It is not just the crime which the Court is to take into consideration, but also the criminal, the state of his mind, his socio-economic background, etc.

Jan 20, 2022 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH BHAGWANI — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH — Respondent ( Before : L. Nageswara Rao, B.R. Gavai and B.V. Nagarathna, JJ. )…

Cr P C

Ordinarily, this Court is cautious in interfering with an order of acquittal, especially when the order of acquittal has been confirmed upto the High Court. It is only in rarest of rare cases, where the High Court, on an absolutely wrong process of reasoning and a legally erroneous and perverse approach to the facts of the case, ignoring some of the most vital facts, has acquitted the accused, that the same may be reversed by this Court, exercising jurisdiction under Article 136 of the Constitution

Jan 15, 2022 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH RAJESH PRASAD — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF BIHAR AND ANOTHER ETC — Respondent ( Before : L. Nageswara Rao, B.R. Gavai and B.V.…

Cr P C

A large number of family members are shown in the FIR by casually mentioning their names and the contents do not disclose their active involvement, as such, taking cognizance of the matter against them was not justified – No external injuries noticed in the postmortem certificate, except the single ante-mortem injury i.e. ligature mark around the neck, and the cause of death is shown as asphyxia – No specific allegations disclosing the involvement of the appellants to prosecute them for the offences alleged – Chargesheet quashed – Appeal allowed.

Dec 19, 2021 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MIRZA IQBAL @ GOLU AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : R. Subhash Reddy and…

Cr P C

(CrPC) – Sections 273, 275, 276, 278, 279, 299, 367 and 391 – Evidence Act, 1872 – Section 33 – Recording of evidence – Separate Trial – Whether the evidence recorded in a separate trial of co-accused can be read and considered by the appellate court in a criminal appeal arising out of another separate trial conducted against another accused, though for the commission of the same offence – HELD the scope of the appellate court’s power does not go beyond the evidence available before it in the form of a trial court record of a particular case, unless section 367 or section 391 of Cr.P.C. comes into play in a given case, which are meant for further inquiry or additional evidence while dealing with any criminal appeal.

Dec 16, 2021 sclaw

(2021) 13 SCALE 109 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH A.T. MYDEEN AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT — Respondent ( Before : Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud,…

Cr P C

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) – Summoning of additional accused – Power to proceed against other persons appearing to be guilty of offence – During the trial if it is found that other accused persons who committed the offence are not charge-sheeted, the Court may array those persons as accused in exercise of powers under Section 319 Cr.P.C.

Dec 12, 2021 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S SUVARNA COOPERATIVE BANK LIMITED — Appellant Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagarathna, JJ.…

Cr P C

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) – Section 482 – Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 120B, 408, 409, 420 and 149 – Quashing of criminal proceedings – Merely because some other persons who might have committed the offences, but were not arrayed as accused and were not charge-sheeted cannot be a ground to quash the criminal proceedings against the accused who is charge-sheeted after a thorough investigation.

Dec 12, 2021 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S SUVARNA COOPERATIVE BANK LIMITED — Appellant Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagarathna, JJ.…

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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