Supreme Court of India Judgements

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Category: I P C

Constitution I P C

Criminal Law — Murder and Conspiracy — Appreciation of Evidence — Supreme Court’s Role in Appeals Against Acquittal — The Supreme Court reiterated that its role in an appeal against an acquittal is to examine whether the High Court committed an error in disturbing the Trial Court’s findings, especially when two competent courts have reached opposite conclusions on the same evidence — The Court must re-appreciate the evidence to deliver a final finding.

May 21, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 507 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU Vs. PONNUSAMY AND OTHERS ( Before : M. M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma, JJ. )…

I P C

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 34 — Common intention — Requires proof of pre-arranged plan or prior meeting of minds, which must be clearly discernible from the material on record — Mere presence at the scene of offence without proof of participation or shared intention is insufficient to sustain conviction with the aid of Section 34 IPC — Prosecution must establish that accused shared a common intention and acted in furtherance thereof.

May 10, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 467 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SANJAY SINGH Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Augustine George Masih, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.440…

I P C

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 498A — Cruelty by husband or relatives of husband — For the conviction under Section 498A, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused caused mental or physical cruelty to the woman. In this case, the evidence presented by the prosecution regarding dowry demands and cruelty was found to be contradictory and uncorroborated by independent witnesses. Therefore, the conviction of the appellant under Section 498A IPC was set aside.

May 1, 2026 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH NARENDRA SINGH Vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH ( Before : Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 302 of 2014…

Constitution Cr P C I P C

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Registration of FIR — Mandatory upon disclosure of cognizable offence (Lalita Kumari v. Govt. of U.P.) — No preliminary inquiry generally permissible — Remedies for non — registration under Section 154(3) and 156(3) are efficacious.- Magistrate’s power to direct FIR registration and investigation is pre-cognizance — Sanction under Sections 196 & 197 CrPC operates at cognizance stage, not investigation stage.

Apr 30, 2026 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ASHWINI KUMAR UPADHYAY Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Writ Petition (Civil) No. 943…

Cr P C I P C

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 498A and 494 read with Section 34 — Cruelty and bigamy — Family members of husband — Allegations against in-laws must disclose specific acts of demand, threat, or physical assault, not mere generalised statements of presence or encouragementPenal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 494 — Bigamy — Liability for bigamy does not extend to persons other than the spouse who contracted the second marriage, unless there is evidence of their active participation, facilitation, or encouragement of the marriage — Mere knowledge of the second marriage is insufficient.

Apr 27, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 412 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SIVARAMAN NAIR AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF KERALA AND ANOTHER ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Augustine George Masih, JJ. )…

I P C

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 294(b) — Conviction for uttering obscene words — Held, mere use of the word “bastard” is not sufficient to constitute obscenity, especially in heated conversations during the modern era — Conviction under Section 294(b) IPC is not sustainable and is liable to be set aside.

Apr 7, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 318 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SIVAKUMAR Vs. STATE REP. BY THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE ( Before : Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Manoj Misra, JJ. ) Criminal…

I P C SC/ST

CONVERSION –Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 — Section 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s), 3(2)(va) — Penal Code, 1860 — Sections 341, 323, 506 read with Section 34 — Quashing of criminal proceedings — Appellant converted to Christianity and worked as a Pastor for ten years — High Court quashed proceedings, holding appellant disentitled to protection under SC/ST Act due to conversion — Supreme Court upheld High Court’s decision — Conversion to a religion other than Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist results in automatic and complete loss of Scheduled Caste status — Religious conversion bars claim to benefits under SC/ST Act, as it is predicated on Scheduled Caste membership.

Mar 26, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 283 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH CHINTHADA ANAND Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH AND OTHERS ( Before : Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

I P C

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 376 — Offences Against Women — Sexual Assault — Trial Court convicted accused for sexual assault based on victim’s testimony corroborated by parents, medical witnesses, and others — High Court acquitted accused, citing improbabilities like distance traveled by victim and family animosity, and contradictions in witness testimonies — Supreme Court, while acknowledging the scope of interference in acquittals, analyzed the evidence — Supreme Court held that minor inconsistencies should not lead to rejection of credible testimony and that medical evidence corroborated victim’s testimony — Therefore, the Supreme Court set aside the High Court’s acquittal and upheld the conviction, stating the victim’s sole testimony was sufficient to establish the offense.

Mar 26, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 290 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH Vs. HUKUM CHAND ALIAS MONU ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, JJ. ) Criminal…

I P C

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 406 and 420 — Criminal breach of trust and cheating — For an offence of cheating under Section 415 IPC, a fraudulent or dishonest intention must exist at the time of making the promise or representation — Mere failure to keep a promise subsequently does not automatically prove dishonest intention from the beginning — Every breach of contract does not amount to cheating, unless there was deception at the inception.

Mar 21, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 265 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH V. GANESAN Vs. STATE REP BY THE SUB INSPECTOR OF POLICE AND ANOTHER ( Before : Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Manoj…

I P C

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302 and 498A — Appeal against conviction for murder and cruelty — Court considered evidence of eyewitness daughter, post-mortem report, and dying declaration of the deceased — High Court reversed acquittal by Trial Court and convicted the appellant — Trial Court acquitted on grounds of inconsistent witness testimonies, unreliable dying declaration due to victim’s serious injuries and sedation, and improbability of incident occurring in a small bathroom — Supreme Court found eyewitness testimony credible, post-mortem report confirmed cause of death, and dying declaration reliable despite victim’s severe burns, supported by medical opinion that she was conscious and fit to make a statement — Recovery of kerosene tin, matchbox, and burnt cloth pieces from the scene further corroborated the prosecution’s case — Supreme Court held that the evidence unequivocally proved the appellant’s responsibility for the offences.

Mar 18, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 249 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH SUBRAMANI Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA ( Before : Pankaj Mithal and S.V.N. Bhatti, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 2432 of 2010…

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Accident

Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Sections 165, 166 — Death allegedly caused by murder inside a motor vehicle — Claim for compensation — Requirement of causal link between death and “use” of motor vehicle — Held, mere presence of a motor vehicle in the chain of circumstances leading to death does not attract liability under MVA — Some nexus between the vehicle and the death must be established.

Jul 25, 2026 sclaw
State Laws

Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Act, 1976 — Section 2(25) — “Occupier” — Scope of definition — The MHAD Act defines only “occupier,” which includes any person liable to pay rent, an owner in occupation, a rent-free tenant, a licensee, or one liable to pay damages for use and occupation — Occupancy is not a statutory tenancy dependent on the owner’s will, and even a person in possession without formal rent liability may claim occupancy status for reallotment purposes.

Jul 25, 2026 sclaw
Stamp Act

Stamp Act, 1899 — Section 26, proviso — Mining lease — Stamp duty on instrument with indeterminate value — Determinant of stamp duty — Where value of subject-matter is indeterminate at execution, proviso to S.26 specifically governs mining leases, directing that estimated royalty or value of share, as estimated by the Collector where State is lessor, suffices for stamp duty purposes — Proviso held not inconsistent with main provision — actual value of mining lease is ascertainable only once mining operations commence

Jul 25, 2026 sclaw
Service

Service Law — Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPS) — Grade Pay convergence — Effect on promotions within cadre — Convergence of Grade Pay pursuant to Sixth Central Pay Commission does not obliterate separate identity of promotional posts within a cadre — Promotions carry promotional increments, enhanced running-duty allowances and post-specific benefits, remaining financially meaningful notwithstanding constancy of Grade Pay.

Jul 25, 2026 sclaw