Latest Post

[Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950, S. 80] | [Civil court jurisdiction barred for disputes concerning public trusts unless specific conditions are met.] 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. Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950 — Section 123 — Regularisation of unauthorised occupation — Legal fiction created by Section 123(2) deems land settled with house owners in possession by a specific cut-off date, overriding Section 143 declaration — Regularisation is a socio-economic measure and is applicable even if houses were built forcefully or without consent. [S. 302 read with S. 34 IPC] | Non-recovery of weapons cannot be fatal to prosecution if ocular and medical evidence is consistent and reliable. “Sharbat Rooh Afza” — Classification — Contains declared fruit juice and derives essential beverage identity from fruit-based constituents — Invert sugar syrup acts as carrier, sweetener, and preservative, not determinative of commercial identity — Fruit juice and allied distillates impart flavour and beverage character — Held to be classifiable as “fruit drink” under Entry 103.
Service Matters

Service Law – Claim of benefits – Delay and laches – – Where a service related claim is based on a continuing wrong, relief can be granted even if there is a long delay in seeking remedy -But if the claim involved issues relating to seniority or promotion, etc., affecting others, delay would render the claim stale and doctrine of laches/limitation will be applied – Insofar as the consequential relief of recovery of arrears for a past period is concerned, the principles relating to recurring/successive wrongs will apply

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BICHITRANANDA BEHERA — Appellant Vs. STATE OF ORISSA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

Service Matters

Service Law – Appointment – Selection process – It is entirely the prerogative of the employer, after applications are received from interested candidates or names of registered candidates are sponsored by the Employment Exchanges for public employment, to decide whether any such candidate intending to participate in the selection process is eligible in terms of the statutorily prescribed rules for appointment and also as to whether he ought to be allowed to enter the zone of consideration, i.e., to participate in the selection process

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH UNION OF INDIA — Appellant Vs. UZAIR IMRAN AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Bela M. Trivedi and Dipankar Datta, JJ. ) Civil…

Service Matters

Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 – Section 7-A – Determination of dues payable – Mere fact that two Institutes, managed and controlled by the same management, offer different courses or were established at different times is not relevant for their clubbing under the EPF Act – Issue raised in the present appeal is not regarding the calculation of dues under the EPF Act, rather it is regarding the coverage of the EPF Act by clubbing of two Institutes – Appeal dismissed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S MATHOSRI MANIKBAI KOTHARI COLLEGE OF VISUAL ARTS — Appellant Vs. THE ASSISTANT PROVIDENT FUND COMMISSIONER — Respondent ( Before : Hima Kohli and…

Service Matters

Service benefits – Deceased employee had attained the age of superannuation on 31.07.1991, whereas the chargesheet was issued to him on 07.12.1991 – Meaning thereby that on the date of his superannuation, no disciplinary proceeding was pending against him – This Court set aside the punishment order inflicted on the deceased employee, all the service benefits due to him along with interest @ 7% per annum from the date of his retirement till the payment is made, shall be paid by the appellant-Bank to his legal heirs within a period of three months.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH UCO BANK AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. M.B. MOTWANI (DEAD) THR. LRS. AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Hima Kohli and Rajesh Bindal,…

(NDPS) – Section 52A – Disposal of contraband – Mere fact that the samples were drawn in the presence of a gazetted officer is not sufficient compliance of the mandate of subsection (2) of Section 52A of the NDPS Act- No evidence has been brought on record to the effect that the procedure prescribed under subsections (2), (3) and (4) of Section 52A of the NDPS Act was followed while making the seizure and drawing sample such as preparing the inventory and getting it certified by the Magistrate – No evidence has also been brought on record that the samples were drawn in the presence of the Magistrate and the list of the samples so drawn were certified by the Magistrate – Conviction and sentence set aside – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH YUSUF @ ASIF — Appellant Vs. STATE — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Pankaj Mithal, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 3191…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 302 and 201 read with Section 34 – Murder – Acquittal – Lack of proper test identification parade – Non-examination of key eyewitness who was present when the accused and deceased were last seen together – It becomes very doubtful as the accused was shown to the witness in the office of the Superintendent of Police, only with a view to see that he identifies the accused in the court – This procedure is not known to law – Conviction and sentence set aside – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MOHD. RIJWAN — Appellant Vs. STATE OF HARYANA — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Pankaj Mithal, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.…

Constitution of India, 1950 – Article 226 – Writ Jurisdiction – Existence of an alternative remedy is not an absolute bar on exercise of writ jurisdiction – One such compelling reason may arise where there is a serious dispute between the parties on a question of fact and materials/evidence(s) available on record are insufficient/inconclusive to enable the Court to come to a definite conclusion.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. EHSAN AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Manoj Misra, JJ. )…

Constitution of India, 1950 – Article 243W – Exemption from service tax – Going by the golden rule of interpretation that words should be read in their ordinary, natural, and grammatical meaning, the word “or” in clause 2(s) clearly appears to us to have been used to reflect the ordinary and normal sense, that is to denote an alternative, giving a choice; and, this court cannot assign it a different meaning unless it leads to vagueness or makes clause 2(s) absolutely unworkable.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH COMMISSIONER, CUSTOMS CENTRAL EXCISE AND SERVICE TAX, PATNA AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. M/S SHAPOORJI PALLONJI AND COMPANY PVT. LTD. AND OTHERS — Respondent…