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Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 168 — Just Compensation — Award of compensation for prosthetic limb — No fixed guidelines for compensation amount — Courts can deviate from governmental notifications if they are too low — Emphasis on “restitutio in integrum” principle to restore the claimant as close as possible to their pre-injury state — Claimants are entitled to choose private centres for prosthetic limbs and renewal costs should be considered — Compensation can be awarded for periodic replacement and maintenance of prosthetic limbs. Dispute over cadre change versus mere transfer — A transfer is a change of posting within the same service without altering seniority or substantive status, differing from a cadre change which involves a structural shift between services with significant implications for seniority and promotional avenues, requiring specific authority. Evidence Act, 1872 — Eyewitness testimony vs. Medical evidence — In case of conflict, eyewitness testimony, especially of an injured witness who is found to be reliable and has withstood cross — examination, is generally superior to expert medical opinion formed by an expert witness — Lack of independent witnesses does not automatically compromise the prosecution case, especially when societal realities suggest potential fear or hesitation Protracted Government Inaction and Third — Party Rights — Despite an initial timeline of two months for an inquiry and subsequent hopes for completion within six months, the government showed significant delay, stretching over six years without a final decision — During this period, extensive third — party rights were created through land sales and construction of villas and flats by innocent purchasers — The Court observed that it’s inappropriate for a welfare state to attempt to undo decades — old transactions, especially when innocent citizens have invested their hard — earned money, and basic amenities should not be denied to occupants of constructed properties. Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958 vs. Government Grants Act, 1895 — Relationship Governed by Grant — A lease originating from a Government grant, as governed by the Government Grants Act, 1895, is not subject to the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958 — The incidence and enforceability of such a grant are governed solely by its tenor — The legal character of the grant does not derive from conventional landlord — tenant relationships but from the sovereign grant and its embedded conditions — Therefore, eviction proceedings under the Delhi Rent Control Act are not maintainable for holdings originating from a Government grant.

Electricity Act, 2003 – Section 86(1)(a) read with Section 62 – Recovery of deductions of monthly tariff – Dispute inter se the parties is in the nature of a contractual dispute – Normally, costs must go with the succeeding party in case of a contractual dispute – This is more so where one party repeatedly seeks to evade the rigors of the orders

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH NABHA POWER LIMITED — Appellant Vs. PUNJAB STATE POWER CORPORATION LIMITED — Respondent ( Before : Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar,…

In a suit filed for partition, the courts must endeavour to comprehensively adjudicate and decide the right entitlement and share of the parties in the same proceeding and must avoid multiplicity of proceedings or relegating parties to a fresh round of litigation – Partial adjudication in the circumstance of the case is erroneous and ought to have been avoided – Matter remitted to Learned Single Judge of High Court

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH VIKRANT KAPILA AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. PANKAJA PANDA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Aniruddha Bose and S.V.N. Bhatti, JJ. ) Civil…

Dishonour of cheque – Quashing of complaint – Merely because somebody is managing the affairs of the company, per se, he would not become in charge of the conduct of the business of the company or the person responsible to the company for the conduct of the business of the company – Person liable is in charge of and was responsible to the company for the conduct of the business of the company – Complaint quashed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SIBY THOMAS — Appellant Vs. M/S. SOMANY CERAMICS LTD. — Respondent ( Before : C.T. Ravikumar and Sanjay Kumar, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 148, 149, 302 and 307 – Explosive Substance Act, 1908 – Sections 4 and 5 – Murder – Accused with 11 persons attacked with country made bombs as also Laathis and tabbal – Deceased received multiple injuries and eventually succumbed while receiving the treatment he was died – Deceased was a history-sheeter and had scores of criminal cases pending against him or cases in which he was involved – Simply because the deceased had a chequered past which constituted several run-ins with the law, Courts cannot give benefit thereof, particularly when such claims are bald assertions, to those accused of committing such a person’s murder – Conviction and sentence upheld – Appeal dismissed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH KAMAL PRASAD AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH (NOW STATE OF CHHATTISGARH) — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka…

Irretrievable breakdown of marriage – Divorce – Husband was about 89 years old and wife aged about 82 years – One should not be oblivious to the fact that the institution of marriage occupies an important place and plays an important role in the society – it would not be desirable to accept the formula of “irretrievable break down of marriage” as a strait-jacket formula for the grant of relief of divorce under Article 142 of the Constitution of India – Appeal dismissed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DR. NIRMAL SINGH PANESAR — Appellant Vs. MRS. PARAMJIT KAUR PANESAR @AJINDER KAUR PANESAR — Respondent ( Before : Aniruddha Bose and Bela M.…

Work Agreement – Payments and Advances – Payment has to be made in the foreign currency only along with computed interest – It would be open for the parties to pay and the other parties claiming to accept the Indian currency either at the current rate or at the agreed rate but this Court cannot meddle with the terms of the agreement or the award or the directions contained in the judgment of this Court dated 24.02.2015.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH NATIONAL PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION LIMITED — Appellant Vs. ROYAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY PRIVATE LTD. — Respondent ( Before : Aniruddha Bose and Vikram Nath, JJ.…

Rape with minor girl – Quantum of sentence – the mitigating circumstances which weigh in favour of the accused must be balanced with the impact of the offence on the victim, her family and society in general – Rights of the accused must be balanced with the effect of the crime on the victim and her family – This is a case which impacts the society – If undue leniency is shown to the respondent in the facts of the case, it will undermine the common man’s confidence in the justice delivery system –

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF RAJASTHAN — Appellant Vs. GAUTAM S/O MOHANLAL — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Pankaj Mithal, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

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…

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