Category: 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.

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…

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.

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…

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.

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…

Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 302/149 — Murder — Conviction and sentence for life imprisonment — Unlawful assembly and common object — Accused alighting from a bus together, armed with firearms, establishes unlawful assembly with a common object — Vicarious liability under Section 149 IPC applies to all members of the unlawful assembly — Presence in the assembly is sufficient for conviction even without overt acts by each individual.

2026 INSC 224 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DABLU ETC. AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH ( Before : Pankaj Mithal and S.V.N. Bhatti, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 406, 420, 467, 468, 471 — Criminal Breach of Trust, Cheating, Forgery, Using Forged Document — Joint Venture Agreement — Dispute arising from JVA — FIR quashed — Allegations primarily civil in nature, with a criminal cloak — Dishonest intention not evident from the inception — Delay in lodging FIR indicates civil dispute — Security deposit not refundable, adjustable against share in sale proceeds — No false representation regarding title or litigation in JVA — Allegation of forgery of a tracing document unsubstantiated — Recourse to civil remedies should be taken for contractual disputes.

2026 INSC 192 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH VANDANA JAIN AND OTHERS Vs. THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH AND OTHERS ( Before : Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Manoj Misra,…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 306 and 309 — Abetment of suicide and attempt to commit suicide — Suicide pact — Mutual encouragement and reciprocal commitment to die together — Survivor’s participation acts as a direct catalyst for the deceased’s actions — Psychological assurance or instigation, if intentional and directly related to the commission of offence, constitutes abetment — Each participant’s resolve to commit suicide is reinforced and strengthened due to the other’s participation — Suicide in a pact is conditional upon mutual participation — Assisting in ending life is a crime against the state.

2026 INSC 160 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH GUDIPALLI SIDDHARTHA REDDY Vs. STATE C.B.I. ( Before : Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 457 of 2012…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 307, 326, 324 — Conviction for causing life-threatening injuries — High Court reducing sentence to period already undergone and enhancing fine — Supreme Court held High Court acted in defiance of law and created a travesty of established criminal jurisprudence by relying on irrelevant factors like time elapsed and death of victim by other persons, without proper reasoning — Such reduction undermines the deterrent effect of punishment and erodes public confidence in the justice system.

2026 INSC 164 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PARAMESHWARI Vs. THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU AND OTHERS ( Before : Rajesh Bindal and Vijay Bishnoi, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 302 — Murder — Dying declaration — Admissibility and weight — A dying declaration can be the sole basis for conviction if it is voluntary, truthful, and reliable, even without corroboration. The court must scrutinize it carefully for tutoring or manipulation and consider the declarant’s opportunity to observe and identify the assailant and their fitness to make the statement.

2026 INSC 57 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH Vs. CHAMAN LAL ( Before : B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 430…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302, 120-B, 201, 506 read with Section 34 — Conviction by High Court after acquittal by Trial Court — Supreme Court’s role — Appellate court can review and reconsider evidence, but must respect the presumption of innocence accorded to an accused who has been acquitted. A plausible view taken by the trial court should not be overturned merely because another view is possible. Interference is warranted only if the acquittal suffers from patent perversity, misreading of evidence, or if no other conclusion than guilt is possible. (Paras 26, 27, 28, 29)

2026 INSC 67 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH TULASAREDDI @ MUDAKAPPA AND ANOTHER Vs. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA AND OTHERS ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Vipul M. Pancholi,…