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Consumer Protection Act, 1986 — Section 25 — Enforcement of orders — Pre-2002 amendment and post-2019 Act, all orders could be enforced as decrees. The period between 15.03.2003 to 20.07.2020 saw an anomaly where only interim orders (and monetary recovery) were clearly enforceable under Section 25, leaving final non-monetary orders in a gap. Interpretation of Statutes — Casus omissus — Court can fill gaps in legislation using interpretative tools like purposive construction when literal interpretation leads to absurdity or defeats the object of the Act, especially for remedial legislation like the Consumer Act. Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 14, 39(d) and 43 — Equal pay for equal work — Contractual Assistant Professors performing identical duties as regularly appointed or ad-hoc Assistant Professors are entitled to the minimum pay scale of Assistant Professors. Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971 — Chapter I-A — Slum Rehabilitation Schemes — Preferential right of landowner to redevelop — Section 3B(4)(e) and Section 13(1) confer a preferential right on the landowner to redevelop a Slum Rehabilitation Area (SR Area) — SRA can undertake redevelopment only if the landowner fails to come forward with a scheme within a reasonable time Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971 — Sections 3C, 13, 14 — Waiver of preferential right — Waiver of landowner’s preferential right to redevelop requires clear and overt communication by the owner of intention not to exercise the right — Mere inaction or delay, particularly when the owner has consistently shown intent to redevelop, does not constitute waiver, especially if no invitation for redevelopment was issued. Criminal Procedure — Institution of FIR — Quashing of FIR — Abuse of process of law — High Court quashed FIR based only on Section 17A of the PC Act, 1988, without considering other grounds raised by the accused — Supreme Court finds this approach incomplete and remands the matter for reconsideration of all grounds, emphasizing that procedural lapses like failure to obtain prior approval, if applicable, can render an FIR void ab initio.

Finance Act, 1994 – Section 66(B) – Exemption from service tax – Services provided in the nature of contract labour not job work – On reading the agreement as a whole, it is apparent that the contract is pure and simple a contract for the provision of contract labour – Appeal dismissed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ADIRAJ MANPOWER SERVICES PRIVATE LIMITED — Appellant Vs. COMMISSIONER OF CENTRAL EXCISE PUNE II — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud and…

Cheating and forgery – Prior to the filing of a petition under Section 156 (3) of the Cr.P.C., there have to be applications under Section 154 (1) and 154 (3) of the Cr.P.C. – Filing of complaint under Section 156 (3) of the Cr.P.C. after a period of one and half years from the date of filing of written statement is a ulterior motive of harassing the accused persons – Proceeding quashed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BABU VENKATESH AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai and Krishna Murari, JJ. )…

Securities and Exchange Board of India (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) Regulations, 2003 – Regulation 9, 10, 11 and 12 – Whether an investigation report under Regulation 9 of the PFUTP Regulations must be disclosed to the person to whom a notice to show cause is issued – Held, Person has a right to disclosure of the material relevant to the proceedings initiated against him

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH T. TAKANO — Appellant Vs. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud and Sanjiv…

Service Matters

HELD constitutional courts while exercising their power of judicial review under Articles 226 or 227 of the Constitution would not assume the role of the appellate authority where jurisdiction is circumscribed by limits of correcting errors of law or procedural errors leading to manifest injustice or violation of principles of natural justice

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH GENERAL MANAGER(OPERATION-1)/ APPELLATE AUTHORITY, UCO BANK AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. KRISHNA KUMAR BHARDWAJ — Respondent ( Before : Ajay Rastogi and Abhay S.…

Service Matters

Power of judicial review in the matters of disciplinary inquiries, exercised by the departmental/appellate authorities discharged by constitutional courts under Article 226 or Article 136 of the Constitution of India is well circumscribed by limits of correcting errors of law or procedural errors leading to manifest injustice or violation of principles of natural justice.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH REGIONAL MANAGER, UCO BANK AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. KRISHNA KUMAR BHARDWAJ — Respondent ( Before : Ajay Rastogi and Abhay S. Oka, JJ.…

Specific Relief Act, 1963 – Sections 21, 21(4) and 21(5) – Claim for damages in lieu of specific performance of contract – Appellant did not claim any relief for damages – Even in the appeal filed by the Appellant, no relief for damages was claimed by the Appellants – Appellant not entitled for damages – Appeal dismissed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH UNIVERSAL PETRO CHEMICALS LIMITED — Appellant Vs. B. P. PLC AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : L. Nageswara Rao and B.R. Gavai, JJ.…

Service Matters

Central Electricity Authority (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2010 – Regulations 6, 7 and 116 -Exemption from the applicability of Regulation 6 & 7 of the Safety Regulations by the order dated 13.02.2019 can be granted only in favour of persons who were employed with the KSEBL on the date of the formulation of the transfer scheme and such of those employees who have joined service after 31.10.2013 were not entitled to such an exemption.

Vs. STATE OF KERALA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : L. Nageswara Rao and B.R. Gavai, JJ. ) Civil Appeal Nos. 1498-1500 of 2022 (Arising out of SLP (Civil)…

Service Matters

Service Law – Promotion – considering Rule 14, it can be seen that the bar was against teachers who have obtained B.A./B.Sc./B.Ed degree simultaneously during the same academic year – In the present case it cannot be said that the appellant obtained the degree of B.A. (English) and M.A. (Tamil) during the same academic year

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH A. DHARMARAJ — Appellant Vs. THE CHIEF EDUCATIONAL OFFICER, PUDUKKOTTAI AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M. R. Shah and B. V. Nagarathna,…

Re-auction – re-auction of the entire properties by fixing the upset price higher than what has been fixed earlier, the auction purchaser who purchased the property in the year 1998- Valuation as on the date of auction is the relevant consideration and not the value after so many years

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH K. KUMARA GUPTA — Appellant Vs. SRI MARKENDAYA AND SRI OMKARESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and B.V.…

Constitution of India, 1950 – Article 15(1) and 19(1)(g) – Maharashtra Police Act, 1951 – Section 33(1)(w)(i) and 33(w)(ii) and 162(1) – Licensing and Performance for Public Amusement including Cabaret Performance, Melas and Tamashas Rules, 1960 – Rules 108A, 109, 118, 207 and 209- Condition limiting female performers in bars – Restriction directly transgresses Article 15(1) and Article 19(1)(g)-

  SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH HOTEL PRIYA, A PROPRIETORSHIP — Appellant Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : K.M. Joseph and S. Ravindra Bhat,…

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