Reservation Policy — Other Backward Classes (OBC) — Creamy Layer Exclusion — Interpretation of Office Memorandum (OM) dated 08.09.1993 and Clarificatory Letter dated 14.10.2004 — Salary income exclusion — Hostile discrimination — Held, the clarificatory letter dated 14.10.2004, particularly paragraph 9 thereof, should not be interpreted in isolation or in a manner that overrides the substantive scheme of the 1993 OM — Overemphasis on the 2004 letter making income alone determinative without considering parental status and category of service would defeat the framework of exclusion under the 1993 OM — Determination of creamy layer status solely on income brackets without reference to posts and status parameters in the 1993 OM is unsustainable — Hostile discrimination arises when similarly placed individuals are treated differently without a constitutionally sustainable basis, thereby attracting provisions of Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitution — Appeals dismissed
2026 INSC 230 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS Vs. ROHITH NATHAN AND ANOTHER ( Before : Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and R. Mahadevan, JJ. )…
Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 32 — Writ Petition — Delay and Laches — Doctrine of laches is a flexible rule of practice, not a rigid rule of law, to be applied on case-to-case basis based on judicial discretion — It requires balancing the equity of not allowing stale claims against the constitutional duty to enforce fundamental rights — Key considerations include inordinate delay, explanation for delay, and prejudice to third-party rights or settled matters — Unexplained delay is critical; delay attributable to the State’s conduct cannot be used against the petitioner — Claims affecting the public at large or challenging the vires of a statute might warrant a less strict application of laches, especially when addressing historical injustices or transformative constitutionalism — The Court must weigh the need for finality against the need to rectify injustice and has the power to mould relief to minimize disruption while enforcing fundamental rights.
2026 INSC 236 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MIZO CHIEF COUNCIL MIZORAM, THR. PRESIDENT SHRI L. CHINZAH Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS ( Before : J.B. Pardiwala and…
Debts Recovery Tribunal Act, 1993 — Auction Sale — Revaluation of Property — High Court’s direction to reconsider valuation after confirmation of auction sale is permissible if there are credible issues regarding adequacy of valuation or fairness of process for fixing reserve price, to ensure best possible value is realised for the secured asset.
2026 INSC 237 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH OM SAKTHI SEKAR Vs. V. SUKUMAR AND OTHERS ( Before : J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No.…
Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 376(2)(g) and 506 — Conviction based on sole testimony of prosecutrix — Delay in lodging FIR — Lack of corroborative evidence — Court held that conviction can be based on sole testimony of prosecutrix only if it inspires confidence — In this case, the prosecutrix’s version did not inspire confidence due to unexplained delay and lack of disclosure to family, inconsistencies in statements, and absence of medical or other corroborative evidence — Defence of prior enmity also not properly considered — Conviction set aside.
2026 INSC 238 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAJENDRA AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF UTTARAKHAND ( Before : Pankaj Mithal and Prasanna B. Varale, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.(s)…
Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PC Act) — Sections 7 and 13(2) — Appeal against conviction and sentence — Supreme Court upheld the concurrent findings of the Trial Court and High Court regarding the guilt of the appellant based on ocular evidence and corroboration from independent witnesses — No error found in appreciating the evidence or in rejecting the defence submissions regarding motive, contradictions, and the trustworthiness of witnesses — Appeal dismissed concerning conviction.
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAJ BAHADUR SINGH Vs. STATE OF UTTARAKHAND ( Before : Pankaj Mithal and Prasanna B. Varale, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 1105 of 2013…
Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 – Section 34 and 37 – Challenge to arbitral award – Improper constitution of arbitral tribunal – Interpretation of Clause 8.3(b) of the agreement – Co-arbitrators’ power to appoint the presiding arbitrator after 30 days – High Court’s upholding of arbitral tribunal’s decision – Appeals dismissed.
2026 INSC 228 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF GREATER MUMBAI Vs. M/S R.V. ANDERSON ASSOCIATES LIMITED ( Before : J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar, JJ.…
Police Recruitment — Criminal Antecedents — Suitability for Appointment — A candidate with criminal antecedents, even if acquitted by giving benefit of doubt, can be deemed unsuitable for police service by the screening committee, as the employer has the right to assess character and integrity for a disciplined force.
2026 INSC 225 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND OTHERS Vs. RAJKUMAR YADAV ( Before : Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N.V. Anjaria, JJ. ) Civil…
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Service Regulations, 1967 — Regulations 10(9), 87, and 97 — Seniority of direct recruits — Determination of date of appointment — A person is considered on ‘duty’ when performing duties of a post or undergoing probation or training — Appointed to a class of service when discharging duties or commencing probation or training — Seniority is determined by rank in the approved list; probation starts from joining duty — Training is part of service, not a reason to exclude it from seniority calculation. — Division Bench misinterpreted Regulations by stating seniority commences from probation start date — Appeals allowed, High Court judgment set aside.
2026 INSC 229 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M. THANIGIVELU AND OTHERS Vs. TAMIL NADU ELECTRICITY BOARD AND OTHERS ( Before : Rajesh Bindal and Vijay Bishnoi, JJ. )…
Companies Act, 2013 — Sections 241, 242, 244, 59 — Oppression and mismanagement — Interim protection — Supreme Court’s role is to preserve the subject matter of the dispute until the competent forum adjudicates the matter — Interim measures should ensure that the subject matter remains protected while allowing the statutory forum to proceed with adjudication.
2026 INSC 226 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MONIVEDA CONSULTANTS LLP AND ANOTHER Vs. SHAJAS DEVELOPERS PRIVATE LIMITED AND OTHERS ( Before : Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih,…
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…