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Matrimonial law — Maintenance — Deductions from husband’s salary — Voluntary deductions for asset creation (e.g., loan repayments) cannot dilute primary maintenance obligation — Husband’s duty to maintain spouse is primary and continuing, enabling wife to live with dignity. Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Order 7 Rule 11(d) and Order 2 Rule 2 — Rejection of Plaint — Bar by Law — Applicability of Order 2 Rule 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure does not by itself constitute a ground for rejection of plaint under Order 7 Rule 11(d) — Rejection of plaint under Order 7 Rule 11(d) is based on the suit being barred by law, where the bar is apparent from the plaint itself — A plea under Order 2 Rule 2 requires evidence to establish the bar, and therefore cannot typically be a basis for rejecting a plaint at the initial stage. Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 — Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Translation and Transmission of Records for Legal Aid Appeals and Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) — The Supreme Court has approved and directed implementation of an SOP to streamline the process of translation, digitization, and filing of records in legal aid cases, with specific timelines and responsibilities for various stakeholders to ensure timely access to justice. Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 22(3)(b) — Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA) — Sections 3(1), 8(c), 8(e) — Right to legal representation before Advisory Board — A detenu does not have a right to be represented by a legal practitioner before the Advisory Board — This right only arises if the detaining authority or government uses a legal practitioner, in which case the detenu must also be allowed legal representation — Mere assistance by officials in producing records does not grant this right Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 306 — Abetment of Suicide — Essential Ingredients — For a charge under Section 306, the prosecution must prove that the accused contributed to the suicide through a direct or indirect act of instigation or incitement — This act must reveal a clear intention (mens rea) to abet suicide and leave the victim with no other option — The act of instigation must be in close proximity to the suicide and form a direct nexus, indicating the suicide was a direct result of the instigation.
Service Matters

Recruitment Rules — Interpretation of — Anganwadi Workers applying for Supervisor posts — Eligibility and quota for graduates vs. SSLC holders — Amendment to rules increasing quota for Anganwadi Workers and earmarking a portion for graduates — Whether graduates are excluded from the general quota for Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and 10 years’ experience — Supreme Court held that the amendment did not exclude graduate Anganwadi Workers from applying for the 29% vacancies available to Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and 10 years’ experience — The 11% quota for graduates was carved out from the open recruitment quota, not from the existing quota for Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and experience — The selection process did not give any weightage to graduates, and the number of non-graduates selected indicated a level playing field.

2026 INSC 242 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SHINY C.J. AND OTHERS Vs. SHALINI SREENIVASAN AND OHTERS ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ. ) Civil…

Service Matters

Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Special Provisions) Act, 2010 — Section 3(b) — Exclusion of employees appointed on academic arrangement basis from regularization — Classification held unconstitutional — Section 3(b) lacks intelligible differentia and rational nexus to the object of the Act — Denial of regularization solely based on nomenclature is impermissible under Article 14 of the Constitution where duties, tenure, and conditions of service are similar to ad hoc or contractual appointees.

2026 INSC 220 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ABHISHEK SHARMA Vs. THE STATE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. )…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Quashing of criminal proceedings — High Court quashed proceedings against sister-in-law on ground of general and omnibus allegations, but declined relief to father-in-law and mother-in-law (appellants) — Allegations against appellants were similarly general and omnibus, with no specific role or overt act attributed to them — Delay in lodging FIR, coupled with lack of specific allegations, suggested possibility of FIR being a counter-blast to divorce petition filed by husband — High Court erred in applying different standards to similarly situated accused — Proceedings against appellants quashed.

2026 INSC 212 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DR. SUSHIL KUMAR PURBEY AND ANOTHER Vs. THE STATE OF BIHAR AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta,…

Companies Act, 2013 — Section 66 — Reduction of Share Capital — Procedural Fairness — Minority Shareholders — Valuation of Shares — Non-disclosure of valuation report and fairness report in notice for general meeting — Held, not a “tricky notice” as statutory requirement for valuation report not mandated under Section 66 — Valuation by a related agency — Held, not a conflict of interest where internal auditor is independent and valuation agency follows accepted norms — Discount for Lack of Marketability (DLOM) — Held, applicable to illiquid shares, especially in absence of oppression — Share price fixation — Held reasonable based on market value of subsidiary, past offers, and rights issue.

2026 INSC 213 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PANNALAL BHANSALI Vs. BHARTI TELECOM LIMITED AND OTHERS ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

Specific Performance of Agreement to Sell — Trial Court decreed suit for specific performance of sale agreement — High Court set aside Trial Court’s decree — Held, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) executed on the same day as sale agreement established that sale agreement was sham and nominal, executed as security for loan — Plaintiff’s failure to disclose MoU in plaint indicated withholding of material facts and lack of bonafides — Equitable relief of specific performance denied — Appeal dismissed.

2026 INSC 214 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MUDDAM RAJU YADAV Vs. B. RAJA SHANKER (D) THROUGH LRS. AND OTHERS ( Before : Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B.…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 438 — Anticipatory Bail — Appellant not named in FIR, no raid at his business premises, earlier cases ended in bail, cooperating with investigation, and no misuse of liberty granted — High Court wrongly refused anticipatory bail — Supreme Court sets aside High Court order and makes interim protection absolute.

2026 INSC 215 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MANOJ KUMAR MUTTA Vs. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH ( Before : Prashant Kumar Mishra and N.V. Anjaria, JJ. ) Criminal…

Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 — Section 87 — Power to adapt laws — Section 87 of the Reorganisation Act allows for the adaptation and modification of existing laws in successor states for a period of two years to facilitate the application of laws — This provision ensures legislative continuity for local institutions, including Cooperative Societies, until replaced by fresh legislation — The transitional regime provided under Section 87 was relied upon for reconstitution of cooperative societies following the bifurcation of Uttar Pradesh.

2026 INSC 216 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH REGISTRAR CANE COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES AND OTHERS Vs. GURDEEP SINGH NARVAL (DEAD) THROUGH LRS. AND OTHERS ( Before : Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha…

Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 21 — Right to Life — Includes Right to Health — State has positive obligation to safeguard health and ensure conditions for meaningful life — Absence of uniform policy for compensation for death/injury after vaccination raises constitutional concerns warranting institutional response – COVID-19 Vaccination — Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) — Compensation — No-fault compensation framework necessary for serious adverse events arising from mass immunization programs to ensure fair and timely redressal and uphold Article 14.

2026 INSC 218 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RACHANA GANGU AND ANOTHER Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Writ…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302/34, 201 — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — Sections 103(1)/3(5), 238 — Circumstantial evidence — Conviction based on circumstantial evidence must fulfill stringent conditions — Circumstances must be fully established, consistent only with hypothesis of guilt, conclusive in nature, exclude every possible hypothesis except guilt, and form complete chain of evidence — Prosecution failed to prove incriminating circumstances against accused by cogent and admissible evidence — Conviction set aside.

2026 INSC 217 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH POORANMAL Vs. THE STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND ANOTHER ( Before : Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria, JJ. ) Criminal…

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