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Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 – Sections 34 and 37 – Curative petition – The Court found that the arbitral tribunal’s decision was not perverse or irrational and that the CMRS certificate did not conclusively prove that defects were cured within the cure period – The Court emphasized the tribunal’s domain to interpret the contract and the limited scope of judicial interference in arbitral awards – The Supreme Court concluded that the curative petition was maintainable and that there was no miscarriage of justice in restoring the arbitral award. Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Section 302, read with 34 – Murder – The Supreme Court found that the High Court did not properly address whether the Trial Court’s acquittal was a plausible conclusion from the evidence – The Supreme Court emphasized that the burden of proof lies with the prosecution and that the accused do not have to prove their innocence unless there is a statutory reverse onus – The Supreme Court concluded that the evidence did not warrant overturning the acquittal, as the Trial Court’s view was possible and not perverse. Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Section 302 – Murder – Dispute over a blocked pathway – The Court found no evidence of provocation by the deceased that would justify the appellants’ brutal attack, nor any exercise of the right to private defence – The Court applied principles from previous judgments to determine the lack of private defence and the presence of intention to cause harm – The Supreme Court concluded that the appellants’ actions were not in self-defence and that their intention was to inflict harm, affirming the lower courts’ decisions. Consumer Law – Insurance Act, 1938 – Section 45 – Policy not to be called in question on ground of mis-statement after two years – The Court found no suppression of material facts and criticized the NCDRC for not requiring proper evidence from the respondent – The judgment discusses the principles of ‘uberrimae fidei’ (utmost good faith) and the burden of proof in insurance contracts – The Court concluded that the insurance company failed to prove the alleged suppression of facts, thus the repudiation was unjustified. Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Section 302 read with 34 and 120B – Murder – The Court found that the prosecution failed to establish that the discovery of the body was solely based on the appellants’ statements and that the chain of evidence was incomplete – The Court applied the principles for circumstantial evidence, emphasizing that the circumstances must fully establish the guilt and exclude all other hypotheses – The Supreme Court concluded that the prosecution did not prove the case beyond reasonable doubt, leading to the acquittal of the appellants.
Service Matters

Military Engineering Service (Non-Industrial Class III and IV Posts) Rules, 1971 – Seniority – Determination of – In the matter of adjudging seniority of the candidates selected in one and the same selection, placement in the order of merit can be adopted as a principle for determination of seniority but where the selections are held separately by different recruiting authorities, the principle of initial date of appointment/continuous officiation may be the valid principle to be considered for adjudging inter se seniority of the officers in the absence of any rule or guidelines in determining seniority to the contrary.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SUDHIR KUMAR ATREY — Appellant Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Ajay Rastogi and Abhay S. Oka, JJ. )…

Service Matters

Service Law – Respondent is a club in strict sense and not public, ‘restaurant and eating place’ the conclusion appears to be inevitable that the respondent club cannot be characterized as premises which was ‘wholly or principally’ used for the business of supply of meals and refreshment to the public. In the first place as already noticed, the members of the Club and their guests and family members cannot be described as the ‘public’ . HELD There is no finding also that the club was providing lodging. In such circumstances, the question that should have been asked was, whether, being a club, which was not residential in nature, it stood exempted. This was not done. Appeal dismissed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH P.B. NAYAK AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. MANAGING DIRECTOR, BHILAI STEEL PLANT AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : K.M Joseph and Pamidighantam Sri…

Perusal of clause 17 of the 1992 deed would reveal that the partners have right to expel an erring partner/partners on the grounds specified therein. The 1995 Deed does not have any conflicting provision. The clauses in the 1992 Deed, which are not superseded by the 1995 Deed, would still continue to operate. The trial court has given sound reasons, while upholding the expulsion of the plaintiffs. We see no reason to interfere with the same, the appeal is partly allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH V. ANANTHA RAJU AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. T.M. NARASIMHAN AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : L. Nageswara Rao, Sanjiv Khanna and B.R.…

Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 – Civil contempt – Guilty of willful disobedience of order in respect to the levy made-Merely because a subordinate official acted in disregard of an order passed by the Court, a liability cannot be fastened on a higher official in the absence of knowledge – When two views are possible, the element of willfulness vanishes as it involves a mental element – It is a deliberate, conscious and intentional act

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DR. U.N. BORA, EX. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. ASSAM ROLLER FLOUR MILLS ASSOCIATION AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before :…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) – Section 482 – Using casteist slur against neighbour – Quashing of proceedings – Compromise – Article 142 powers can be used – Mere fact that the offence is covered under a ‘special statute’ would not refrain this Court or the High Court, from exercising their respective powers under Article 142 of the Constitution or Section 482 Cr.P.C. – Proceedings quashed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH RAMAWATAR — Appellant Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH — Respondent ( Before : N.V. Ramana, CJI, Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, JJ. ) Criminal…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Section 376(2)(f) read with Section 511 -It is a settled preposition of Criminal Jurisprudence that in every crime, there is first, Mens Rea (intention to commit), secondly, preparation to commit it, and thirdly, attempt to commit it. If the third stage, that is, ‘attempt’ is successful, then the crime is complete. If the attempt fails, the crime is not complete, but law still punishes the person for attempting the said act. ‘Attempt’ is punishable because even an unsuccessful commission of offence is preceded by mens rea, moral guilt, and its depraving impact on the societal values is no less than the actual commission.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH — Appellant Vs. MAHENDRA ALIAS GOLU — Respondent ( Before : Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

Civil Procedure Code, 1908 – Section 25 – Matrimonial Case – Transfer of – Family Court at Gurugram (Haryana) to any other court of competent jurisdiction at Gwalior(M.P.) – Both the parties will cooperate with the competent court of jurisdiction at Gwalior for expeditious disposal of the petition – Petition allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA SINGLE BENCH BABITA SRIVASTAVA — Appellant Vs. VINOD SRIVASTAVA — Respondent ( Before : B.V. Nagarathna, J. ) Transfer Petition(s)(Civil) No. 1867 of 2019 Decided on…

Civil Procedure Code, 1908 – Section 25 – Matrimonial Case – Transfer of – Family Court at Thane, Maharashtra, to a Court of competent jurisdiction at Mangalore, Dakshin Kannada District, Karnataka – No objection by Husband – It is needless to observe that both the parties will cooperate with the competent court of jurisdiction at Mangalore for expeditious disposal of the petition.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA SINGLE BENCH RASHMI ROHAN SHETTY — Appellant Vs. ROHAN RAGHUNATH SHETTY — Respondent ( Before : B.V. Nagarathna, J. ) Transfer Petition(s)(Civil) No. 3044 of 2019…

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