Service Law — Regularisation of Services — Casual Workers — Supreme Court held that casual workers who were similarly situated to those whose services had been regularised in previous judgments, should also have their services regularised. The Court noted that the work performed was perennial and fundamental to the functioning of the department, and that excluding these workers amounted to discrimination.
2026 INSC 156 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PAWAN KUMAR AND OTHERS Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS ( Before : J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar, JJ. )…
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 438 — Anticipatory Bail — Absconding accused — General rule is that an absconder is not entitled to anticipatory bail, exception being when court is prima facie satisfied that no case is made out against the accused after perusing FIR, case diary, and other materials — Accused absconded for almost six and a half years, threatened victim, had criminal antecedents, and was not traceable — Acquittal of co-accused does not automatically entitle absconding accused to anticipatory bail, as prosecution is not expected to adduce evidence against absconding accused during trial of co-accused — Granting anticipatory bail to an absconding accused sets a bad precedent
2026 INSC 157 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BALMUKUND SINGH GAUTAM Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND ANOTHER ( Before : J.B. Pardiwala and Vijay Bishnoi, JJ. ) Criminal…
Essential Commodities Act, 1955 — Sections 3, 7 — Cement Control Order, 1967 — Maharashtra Cement (Licensing and Control) Order, 1973 — Decontrol of cement price and distribution from March 1, 1989 — Conviction for offences relating to cement contravention after decontrol — Unsustainable in law — Prosecution fundamentally unsustainable due to absence of operative control order on relevant date.
2026 INSC 152 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MANOJ Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND ANOTHER ( Before : B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 1630…
Criminal Procedure, 1973 — Section 197 — Sanction for prosecution — Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — Section 217 — Delay in granting sanction — High Court’s direction for deemed sanction if authority fails to decide within one month — Supreme Court notes that the earlier judgment in Dr. Subramanian Swamy vs. Manmohan Singh (2012) 3 SCC 64 does not support the concept of deemed sanction, and a Coordinate Bench had also rejected such an argument in Suneeti Toteja Vs. State of Uttar Pradesh (2025 SCC OnLine SC 433). Supreme Court finds it appropriate to refer the matter to a larger Bench due to persistent complaints of lethargy or apathy in granting sanction. The High Court’s direction on deemed sanction is stayed until further orders
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE REP. BY THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE Vs. M.MUNEER AHAMED AND ANOTHER ( Before : Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma, JJ. )…
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 438 — Anticipatory Bail — Dismissal of High Court application — Supreme Court intervention — Appellant aggrieved by denial of anticipatory bail by High Court — Supreme Court granted leave, set aside High Court order, and directed bail upon arrest, subject to appellant cooperating with investigation within legal limits.
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH VINAY KUMAR GUPTA Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No…of 2026 (Arising…
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…
Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 8 — Conduct of accused leading to discovery of facts — Even if statements leading to discovery are not admissible under Section 27 due to lack of custody, they can be admitted under Section 8 as conduct, serving as a link in the chain of evidence, but cannot alone result in conviction.
2026 INSC 162 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ROHIT JANGDE Vs. THE STATE OF CHHATTISGARH ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.689…
Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 406, 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 506 — Cheating, Criminal Breach of Trust, Forgery — Bail — High Court order granting bail to accused set aside — Accused is a habitual offender with multiple aliases, fake IDs, and a history of absconding and non-cooperation with trial — Bail was granted on parity with co-accused, but this principle was misapplied without considering the accused’s individual conduct and criminal antecedents — Grant of bail poses a risk to society — Trial to be expedited.
2026 INSC 161 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAKESH MITTAL Vs. AJAY PAL GUPTA @ SONU CHAUDHARY AND ANOTHER ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ.…
Societies Registration Act, 1860 — Societies formed for charitable purposes — Members of government service entitled to housing facilities through transparent allotment — The society, HEWO, formed for welfare of HUDA employees, not subject to Article 12 of the Constitution, but must adhere to principles of fairness and transparency in allotments as it enjoys privilege of land allotted by government.
2026 INSC 163 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DINESH KUMAR Vs. THE STATE OF HARYANA AND OTHERS ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ. ) Civil…