Latest Post

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.

Execution of lease deed – Determination of market value plot – In order, it has been specifically observed that so far as the dispute of the balance enhanced amount is concerned, the same shall be settled and disposed of after exchange of affidavits – In that view of the matter the High Court has erred in observing that the rate of Rs.5900/­ per sq.meter mentioned in the lease deed shall be conclusive and final and binding between the parties.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH  NEW OKHLA INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. 24 ORANGES LAB LLP AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and…

Service Matters

Burden of proof in the departmental proceedings is not of beyond reasonable doubt as is the principle in the criminal trial but probabilities of the misconduct – Allegations in the chargesheet that the writ petitioner has fired from the official weapon is a reliable finding returned by the Departmental Authorities on the basis of evidence placed before them. It is not a case of no evidence, which alone would warrant interference by the High Court in exercise of power of judicial review. HELD the order of punishment of dismissal passed as affirmed in appeal and revision stands restored – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH  UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. DALBIR SINGH — Respondent ( Before : Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian, JJ ) Civil Appeal…

Service Matters

Change of date of birth in service record – Application for change of date of birth can only be as per the relevant provisions/regulations applicable – Even if there is cogent evidence, the same cannot be claimed as a matter of right – Application can be rejected on the ground of delay and latches also more particularly when it is made at the fag end of service

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH  KARNATAKA RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT LIMITED — Appellant Vs. T.P. NATARAJA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and A.S. Bopanna, JJ. )…

Land Acquisition Act, 1894 – Sections 4 and 18 – Land Acquisition – Compensation Determination of – HELD the compensation to be awarded is (137.76/2= 69 rounded off to Rs.70 per square feet) which was the market value assessed by the Reference Court as well – Reference Court is justified in law whereas the High Court has reduced the compensation drastically without any reasonable basis – Appellant is entitled to a compensation at the rate of Rs.70/- per square feet from the date of award by the Land Acquisition Collector.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SHANKARRAO BHAGWANTRAO PATIL ETC. — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA — Respondent ( Before : Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian, JJ. ) Civil…

Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 – Section 25F – Direction for reinstatement HELD when it comes to the case of termination of a daily-wage worker and where the termination is found illegal because of a procedural defect, namely, in violation of Section 25-F of the Industrial Disputes Act, this Court is consistent in taking the view that in such cases reinstatement with back wages is not automatic and instead the workman should be given monetary compensation which will meet the ends of justice. Rationale for shifting in this direction is obvious.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAM MANOHAR LOHIA JOINT HOSPITAL AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. MUNNA PRASAD SAINI AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : R. Subhash Reddy and…

Tamil Nadu Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Repeal Act, 1999 – Section 3(2) – Possession – HELD land was lying vacant with a compound wall and that therefore, the claim of the land owner to be in possession must be correct. There can hardly be any such presumption – Existence of the compound wall enclosing even the land that had already been sold by the land owner to the Trust, is admitted by the land owner herself in her letter – High Court committed a grave error in granting the benefit of Section 3(2) of the Repeal Act to the respondents. Cases Referred

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH  STATE OF TAMIL NADU AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. M.S. VISWANATHAN AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian, JJ.…

Service Matters

Reinstatement with full back wages is not automatic in every case, where termination / dismissal is found to be not in accordance with procedure prescribed under law – It is a fit case for modification of the relief granted by the High Court – It appropriate that ends of justice would be met by awarding lump sum monetary compensation and direct payment of lump sum compensation of Rs.15 lakhs to the respondent – Appeal partly allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ALLAHABAD BANK AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. KRISHAN PAL SINGH — Respondent ( Before : R. Subhash Reddy and Sanjiv Khanna, JJ. ) Civil…

Arbitration Act, 1940 – Section 28 – Arbitration proceedings – Extension of time for making the award – Once the Sole Arbitrator continued with the arbitration proceedings and passed the award within the extended period of time, it cannot be said that he has misconducted himself as he continued with the arbitration proceedings.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH  M/S LAXMI CONTINENTAL CONSTRUCTION CO. — Appellant Vs. STATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and A.S. Bopanna, JJ.…

Land Acquisition – Determination of market value – When the different items of property in the different survey number were acquired for the same purpose of establishing the market yard and as observed by the High Court since all the lands had the road passing beside it, a common determination of the market value was the appropriate course – Observation of High Court is justified – Appeal dismissed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH  MANMOHAN LAL GUPTA (DEAD) THRU LRS. — Appellant Vs. MARKET COMMITTEE BHIKHI AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and A.S. Bopanna,…

(CrPC) – S 357 – (IPC) – S 326 – Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons – Assault with the sword and chopping of right leg and right forearm below the elbow and the brutality is apparent on the face of record – Compromise HELD the leg and arm of the victim are amputated in the alleged incident dated 13th December, 1993 and since then he has been fighting for life and is pursuing his daily chores with a prosthetic arm and leg and has lost his vital organs of his body and became permanently disabled and such act of the appellant is unpardonable – This Court not inclined to give any benefit of the alleged compromise for interfering in the sentence awarded by the High Court in the impugned judgment which at least does not call for interference of this Court.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH  BHAGWAN NARAYAN GAIKWAD — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Ajay Rastogi and Abhay S. Oka, JJ.…

You missed