Latest Post

Constitution of India, 1950 — Art. 16 and 226 — Public Employment — Direct Recruitment — Eligibility Criteria — Workshop Experience — Pendency of workshop renewal applications — Effect on candidates — Where a recruitment notification mandates a minimum of one year of experience in a Government-approved workshop, candidates cannot be prejudiced or disqualified merely because the workshop’s application for renewal of approval was pending with the State authorities during the period they gained experience — Depriving an otherwise eligible candidate of employment due to an administrative “period of eclipse” or delay on the part of state machinery is arbitrary and discriminatory–Ashok Kumar Yadav v. State of Haryana, 1985 INSC 137, relied on; State of Uttar Pradesh v. Atul Kumar Dwivedi, 2022 INSC 24, Distinguished. Right to Information Act, 2005 — S. 24(4) — Madhya Pradesh Special Police Establishment Act, 1947 — S. 2(1), S. 3 — “Intelligence and Security Organisation” — Scope and Applicability of Exemption — Jurisdiction of Special Police Establishment (SPE) — The expression “intelligence and security organisations” under Section 24 of the RTI Act implies that the concerned entity must be statutory or institutionally empowered to handle matters of intelligence and national/state security — The Special Police Establishment (SPE) of Madhya Pradesh, established under Section 2(1) of the Act of 1947, is clothed with a limited jurisdiction restricted strictly to investigating offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and select economic/fraud offenses under Sections 409, 420, and Chapter XVIII of the Indian Penal Code — Because neither the Lokayukt nor the SPE handles matters connected to general ‘intelligence’ and ‘security’, the SPE cannot be deemed an “intelligence and security organisation” under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act — Principle of institutional parity cannot be invoked to grant blanket exemptions to a anti-corruption investigation agency. Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Section 11, Explanation IV — Constructive Res Judicata — Application of the principle depends on the facts and circumstances of each case, considering the ambit of earlier proceedings and the nexus of the matter to the controversy — It is founded on public policy to prevent multiplicity of proceedings and avoid parties being vexed twice over for the same litigation — Parties are expected to exercise reasonable diligence and bring forward every point that properly belonged to the subject of litigation and which they might and ought to have brought forward — Negligence, inadvertence, or accident in omitting a part of the case does not exempt from its application. Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 165 and 166 — Liability for injuries sustained due to falling tree branch — Injuries caused by falling tree branch while vehicle was stationary under the tree during rain — Held, not an accident “arising out of the use of a motor vehicle” as the motor vehicle did not play an active role. [ Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act) — Sections 24, 33(5), 36, 39 — Child-sensitive judicial processes — Mandatory safeguards for child victims — Courts must ensure child-friendly procedures, minimum intrusion, and psychological safety, avoiding re-traumatisation and secondary victimisation in all proceedings concerning children, especially those involving allegations of sexual abuse.

Constitution of India, 1950 — Art. 16 and 226 — Public Employment — Direct Recruitment — Eligibility Criteria — Workshop Experience — Pendency of workshop renewal applications — Effect on candidates — Where a recruitment notification mandates a minimum of one year of experience in a Government-approved workshop, candidates cannot be prejudiced or disqualified merely because the workshop’s application for renewal of approval was pending with the State authorities during the period they gained experience — Depriving an otherwise eligible candidate of employment due to an administrative “period of eclipse” or delay on the part of state machinery is arbitrary and discriminatory–Ashok Kumar Yadav v. State of Haryana, 1985 INSC 137, relied on; State of Uttar Pradesh v. Atul Kumar Dwivedi, 2022 INSC 24, Distinguished.

Right to Information Act, 2005 — S. 24(4) — Madhya Pradesh Special Police Establishment Act, 1947 — S. 2(1), S. 3 — “Intelligence and Security Organisation” — Scope and Applicability of Exemption — Jurisdiction of Special Police Establishment (SPE) — The expression “intelligence and security organisations” under Section 24 of the RTI Act implies that the concerned entity must be statutory or institutionally empowered to handle matters of intelligence and national/state security — The Special Police Establishment (SPE) of Madhya Pradesh, established under Section 2(1) of the Act of 1947, is clothed with a limited jurisdiction restricted strictly to investigating offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and select economic/fraud offenses under Sections 409, 420, and Chapter XVIII of the Indian Penal Code — Because neither the Lokayukt nor the SPE handles matters connected to general ‘intelligence’ and ‘security’, the SPE cannot be deemed an “intelligence and security organisation” under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act — Principle of institutional parity cannot be invoked to grant blanket exemptions to a anti-corruption investigation agency.

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) — Section 50 — Compliance with search provisions — Accused must be apprised of legal right to be searched before a Magistrate or Gazetted Officer, not a Police Officer — Offering a third option to be searched before a Police Officer contravenes Section 50 and vitiates the entire trial — High Court correctly set aside conviction based on non-compliance with Section 50

2026 INSC 240 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH Vs. SURAT SINGH ( Before : Pankaj Mithal and Prasanna B. Varale, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 166 — Compensation — Deduction of group insurance benefits — Whether amounts received by claimants under employer-provided group insurance or other contractual/social security benefits can be deducted from compensation awarded under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Held, such benefits arise from independent contractual relationships and lack nexus with statutory compensation for death in a motor vehicle accident — Principle of balancing loss and gain cannot diminish statutory entitlement to just compensation — High Court rightly set aside deductions made by the Tribunal towards group insurance amounts.

2026 INSC 241 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE MANAGING DIRECTOR, KSRTC Vs. P. CHANDRAMOULI AND OTHERS ( Before : Pankaj Mithal and Prasanna B. Varale, JJ. ) Civil…

Service Matters

Recruitment Rules — Interpretation of — Anganwadi Workers applying for Supervisor posts — Eligibility and quota for graduates vs. SSLC holders — Amendment to rules increasing quota for Anganwadi Workers and earmarking a portion for graduates — Whether graduates are excluded from the general quota for Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and 10 years’ experience — Supreme Court held that the amendment did not exclude graduate Anganwadi Workers from applying for the 29% vacancies available to Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and 10 years’ experience — The 11% quota for graduates was carved out from the open recruitment quota, not from the existing quota for Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and experience — The selection process did not give any weightage to graduates, and the number of non-graduates selected indicated a level playing field.

2026 INSC 242 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SHINY C.J. AND OTHERS Vs. SHALINI SREENIVASAN AND OHTERS ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ. ) Civil…

Service Matters

Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Special Provisions) Act, 2010 — Section 3(b) — Exclusion of employees appointed on academic arrangement basis from regularization — Classification held unconstitutional — Section 3(b) lacks intelligible differentia and rational nexus to the object of the Act — Denial of regularization solely based on nomenclature is impermissible under Article 14 of the Constitution where duties, tenure, and conditions of service are similar to ad hoc or contractual appointees.

2026 INSC 220 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ABHISHEK SHARMA Vs. THE STATE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. )…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Quashing of criminal proceedings — High Court quashed proceedings against sister-in-law on ground of general and omnibus allegations, but declined relief to father-in-law and mother-in-law (appellants) — Allegations against appellants were similarly general and omnibus, with no specific role or overt act attributed to them — Delay in lodging FIR, coupled with lack of specific allegations, suggested possibility of FIR being a counter-blast to divorce petition filed by husband — High Court erred in applying different standards to similarly situated accused — Proceedings against appellants quashed.

2026 INSC 212 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DR. SUSHIL KUMAR PURBEY AND ANOTHER Vs. THE STATE OF BIHAR AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta,…

Companies Act, 2013 — Section 66 — Reduction of Share Capital — Procedural Fairness — Minority Shareholders — Valuation of Shares — Non-disclosure of valuation report and fairness report in notice for general meeting — Held, not a “tricky notice” as statutory requirement for valuation report not mandated under Section 66 — Valuation by a related agency — Held, not a conflict of interest where internal auditor is independent and valuation agency follows accepted norms — Discount for Lack of Marketability (DLOM) — Held, applicable to illiquid shares, especially in absence of oppression — Share price fixation — Held reasonable based on market value of subsidiary, past offers, and rights issue.

2026 INSC 213 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PANNALAL BHANSALI Vs. BHARTI TELECOM LIMITED AND OTHERS ( Before : Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

Specific Performance of Agreement to Sell — Trial Court decreed suit for specific performance of sale agreement — High Court set aside Trial Court’s decree — Held, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) executed on the same day as sale agreement established that sale agreement was sham and nominal, executed as security for loan — Plaintiff’s failure to disclose MoU in plaint indicated withholding of material facts and lack of bonafides — Equitable relief of specific performance denied — Appeal dismissed.

2026 INSC 214 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MUDDAM RAJU YADAV Vs. B. RAJA SHANKER (D) THROUGH LRS. AND OTHERS ( Before : Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B.…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 438 — Anticipatory Bail — Appellant not named in FIR, no raid at his business premises, earlier cases ended in bail, cooperating with investigation, and no misuse of liberty granted — High Court wrongly refused anticipatory bail — Supreme Court sets aside High Court order and makes interim protection absolute.

2026 INSC 215 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MANOJ KUMAR MUTTA Vs. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH ( Before : Prashant Kumar Mishra and N.V. Anjaria, JJ. ) Criminal…

Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 — Section 87 — Power to adapt laws — Section 87 of the Reorganisation Act allows for the adaptation and modification of existing laws in successor states for a period of two years to facilitate the application of laws — This provision ensures legislative continuity for local institutions, including Cooperative Societies, until replaced by fresh legislation — The transitional regime provided under Section 87 was relied upon for reconstitution of cooperative societies following the bifurcation of Uttar Pradesh.

2026 INSC 216 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH REGISTRAR CANE COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES AND OTHERS Vs. GURDEEP SINGH NARVAL (DEAD) THROUGH LRS. AND OTHERS ( Before : Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha…

You missed