Environmental Law — Wildlife Protection and Conservation — Protection of Great Indian Bustard (GIB) and Lesser Florican (LF) — Conflict between conservation goals and green energy generation (solar/wind) — Supreme Court modified earlier blanket prohibition on overhead transmission lines based on Expert Committee recommendations to balance non-negotiable preservation of GIB with sustainable development and India’s international climate change commitments — Importance of domain expert advice in policy matters concerning conservation and infrastructure development affirmed. (Paras 6, 14, 15, 60, 61)
2025 INSC 1472 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M.K. RANJITSINH AND OTHERS Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS ( Before : Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Atul S. Chandurkar, JJ.…
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Quashing of FIR — Protection from Arrest — Directions for time-bound investigation — High Court, while declining to quash the FIR, directed the completion of investigation within 90 days and granted protection from arrest till the court takes cognizance (following ‘Shobhit Nehra v. State of U.P.’) — ‘Legality’: Such directions granting protection from arrest while refusing to quash are contrary to the law established by the Supreme Court, particularly ‘Neeharika Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. v. State of Maharashtra’ and ‘State of Telangana v. Habib Abdullah Jeelani’ — Granting protection from arrest in this manner amounts to an order under Section 438 CrPC (Anticipatory Bail) without satisfying the statutory conditions and is legally unsustainable and inappropriate — High Courts must scrupulously avoid passing blanket orders of “no arrest” or “no coercive steps” while dismissing or disposing of quashing petitions under Section 482 CrPC or Article 226 of the Constitution. (Paras 4, 15, 16)
2025 INSC 1480 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER Vs. MOHD ARSHAD KHAN AND ANOTHER ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, JJ.…
Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956 — Section 16 — Creation of Revenue Villages — Naming Convention — Circular dated 20.08.2009, Clause 4 — Policy regarding naming — Clause 4 mandates that the name of a new Revenue Village shall not be based on any person, religion, caste, or sub-caste — Names “Amargarh” and “Sagatsar” derived from names of individuals (Amarram and Sagat Singh) — Naming is in contravention of the policy circular — Policy decisions, even if executive in nature, bind the Government, and any action taken in derogation thereof (without lawful amendment or justification) is arbitrary and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India, 1950 — Notification dated 31.12.2020 creating ‘Amargarh’ and ‘Sagatsar’ is void to the extent it contravenes the binding policy. (Paras 15, 16, 17)
2025 INSC 1482 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BHIKA RAM AND ANOTHER Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND OTHERS ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and Alok Aradhe, JJ. ) Civil…
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Quashing of criminal proceedings — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 498A (Cruelty by husband or relatives) — Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (DP Act) — Sections 3 and 4 (Penalty for giving/taking/demanding dowry) — Allegations of matrimonial discord and cruelty — High Court refused to quash FIR and consequent complaint case against husband (appellant) for Section 498A IPC and DP Act charges, despite quashing proceedings against all other in-laws — Supreme Court held that the allegations, including financial dominance (forcing maintenance of excel sheet of expenses) or taunts about weight postpartum, reflect “daily wear and tear of marriage” and cannot be categorised as ‘cruelty’ or warrant criminal prosecution, especially where other family members have been exonerated — Criminal litigation cannot be a tool for personal vendettas. (Paras 4, 11, 23)
2025 INSC 1471 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BELIDE SWAGATH KUMAR Vs. STATE OF TELANGANA AND ANOTHER ( Before : B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…
M.P. Land Revenue Code, 1959 (MPLRC) — Sections 109, 110 — Mutation of Land Records — Acquisition of Right — Mutation based on a Will — The MPLRC and the Madhya Pradesh Bhu-Rajasv Sanhita (Bhu-Abhilekhon Mein Namantaran) Niyam, 2018, do not prohibit mutation based on a registered will; application for mutation based on a will must be considered on merits — Full Bench decision of the High Court confirmed that an application for mutation based on a will cannot be rejected at the threshold — Where no serious dispute is raised by the natural legal heirs of the deceased tenure holder, mutation based on a will should not be denied. (Paras 15, 18, 19, 21)
2025 INSC 1485 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH TARACHANDRA Vs. BHAWARLAL AND ANOTHER ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Manoj Misra, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No. 15077 of 2025…
Specific Relief Act, 1963 — Section 28 (1) — Decree for specific performance — Payment of purchase money — Extension of time — Execution of decree — Where a decree for specific performance allows a period for the purchaser to pay the purchase money, the court has the power under Section 28(1) to extend this time on such terms as it deems fit — The power to extend time for performance of the conditions of the decree cannot be the end of the transaction, and adopting a hyper-technical approach that treats non-extension as final ought to be eschewed — The real test is whether the plaintiff’s conduct amounts to a positive refusal to complete their part of the contract. (Paras 5, 7)
2025 INSC 1486 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DR. AMIT ARYA Vs. KAMLESH KUMARI ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Manoj Misra, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No…..of 2025 (Arising…
Passports Act, 1967 — Sections 5, 6(2)(f), 7, 8, 9, 10, and 22 — Refusal to issue or re-issue a passport due to pending criminal proceedings — Exemption under Section 22 via Notification GSR 570(E) dated 25.08.1993 — Section 6(2)(f) bars issuance if criminal proceedings are pending, but this is subject to “other provisions of this Act,” including Section 22 — GSR 570(E) exempts persons facing criminal proceedings if they obtain permission from the concerned criminal court — This exemption is structured, tying validity and use to the court’s order; it permits issuing a passport where the criminal court allows renewal and retains judicial supervision over foreign travel. (Paras 7.2, 7.6, 7.8, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 25)
2025 INSC 1476 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MAHESH KUMAR AGARWAL Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Augustine George Masih, JJ. ) Civil…
Cochin University of Science and Technology Act, 1986 — Section 31(10) and 31(11) — Selection and Appointment — Validity of Rank List and Communal Rotation — Harmonious Construction — Section 31(10) stipulates that the Rank List remains valid for two years, and vacancies arising during this period “shall be filled up from the list so published” — Section 31(11) mandates that “Communal rotation shall be followed category-wise” — These sub-sections operate in distinct spheres but are not mutually exclusive; the Rank List’s validity period (Sub-sec 10) co-exists with the mandatory application of communal rotation (Sub-sec 11) for every appointment made therefrom — Interpreting Sub-section (11) as becoming operative only after the Rank List expires would render the reservation/rotation requirement otiose during the list’s validity, defeating legislative intent and violating the doctrine of harmonious construction. (Paras 5, 5.2, 5.4, 5.5, 5.5.1, 5.5.2
2025 INSC 1462 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RADHIKA T. Vs. COCHIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND OTHERS ( Before : Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, JJ. )…
Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) —Section 302 read with Sections 149 and 148 — Murder —Conviction affirmed by High Court — Appeal to Supreme Court — Sufficiency of evidence — Role of interested/related witnesses — Deposition of PW-4 (mother of deceased and alleged eyewitness) scrutinized closely — Material contradictions found in PW-4’s evidence regarding the manner of assault and who informed her — Failure of prosecution to examine key witness (deceased’s granddaughter, who initially informed PW-4) — Independent witnesses (PW-1, PW-2, PW-3 and PW-9) turned hostile — Recovery of weapons based on accused’s memorandum/statement rendered unreliable when supporting witnesses hostile. (Paras 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15)
2025 INSC 1454 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PUNIMATI AND ANOTHER Vs. THE STATE OF CHHATTISGARH AND OTHERS ( Before : Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul M. Pancholi, JJ.…
Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 — Section 45A — Determination of contributions in certain cases — Preconditions for invoking Section 45A — Section 45A is a special provision for best-judgment assessment applicable only when an employer fails to submit, furnish, or maintain returns, particulars, registers, or records as required by Section 44, OR obstructs an Inspector or official in discharging duties under Section 45 — It is not an alternative mode of assessment available at the option of the Corporation — When records (ledgers, cash books, vouchers, etc.) are produced and the employer cooperates by attending multiple personal hearings, the mere allegation of inadequacy or deficiency of supporting documents does not satisfy the statutory threshold of “non-production” or “obstruction” to invoke Section 45A — Mere inadequacy of records does not confer jurisdiction under Section 45A. (Paras 14.6, 14.7, 24, 25, 27, 30)
2025 INSC 1455 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S. CARBORANDUM UNIVERSAL LTD. Vs. ESI CORPORATION ( Before : Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No. 14858…