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Land Acquisition and Development — Public Purpose De-reservation — Subject land originally earmarked for High School was de-reserved by competent authority due to insufficient area; subsequent sale to private individuals was upheld by civil courts and its finality was not challenged. Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 — Sections 2(c), 19 — Criminal Contempt — Scandalising the court — An advocate’s public allegations against a sitting judge, made via a press conference and repeated in court applications, can constitute criminal contempt by scandalising the court, lowering its authority, and interfering with judicial proceedings — Such conduct is unbecoming of a legal professional and undermines public confidence in the judiciary. Recruitment Rules and Advertisement — Essential Qualifications — Work Experience — In absence of a specific rule or advertisement provision, a recruiting agency cannot relax essential eligibility criteria by treating a higher qualification as a replacement for a mandatory essential qualification — A preference for a higher qualification operates only for eligible and meritorious candidates and does not override or supplant the primary requirement of essential eligibility. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 — Section 10 — Relief of back wages and regularisation — Employee illegally terminated, ordered reinstatement with back wages by Labour Commissioner and Industrial Court — Employer challenged, but interim order for back wages deposit was made and employee reinstated as daily wager — Employee sought regularisation after completing 180 days of service, granted by Industrial Court from the date of 180 days completion as per settlement clause — Employer failed to comply timely, only regularising employee on a sanctioned post after many years, imposing new conditions contrary to prior orders — Supreme Court held that employer cannot impose new conditions limiting regularisation contrary to earlier unchallenged orders and settlement terms, and reversed High Court’s decision setting aside back wages order. Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 34 — Challenge to Arbitral Award — Legal Representatives — The Arbitration Act is a complete code for dispute resolution — Legal representatives of a deceased party are entitled to challenge an arbitral award under Section 34 of the Act, as the Act envisions continuity of proceedings after a party’s death and makes awards enforceable by or against legal representatives — Denying this right would render legal representatives remediless while making them liable to fulfill the award, contradicting the Act’s purpose.

Land Acquisition Act, 1894 – Section 18(1) – Fixation of market value – Reference to Court – Fixation of market value in a Reference under Section 18(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 necessarily involves some guesswork – Guesswork is required to be made by adopting one of the well-recognized methods, such as the comparison method or capitalization method.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SOMAN — Appellant Vs. INLAND WATERWAYS AUTHORITY OF INDIA AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : Ajay Rastogi and Abhay S. Oka, JJ. )…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Section 302 read with Section 34 – Murder – Common intention – An exhortation given by an accused immediately before a co-accused fired a shot killing the deceased would prove his involvement in the crime beyond reasonable doubt – Conviction of the accused under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC upheld.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH GULAB — Appellant Vs. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, A.S. Bopanna and Vikram Nath, JJ. )…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) – Summoning of additional accused – Power to proceed against other persons appearing to be guilty of offence – During the trial if it is found that other accused persons who committed the offence are not charge-sheeted, the Court may array those persons as accused in exercise of powers under Section 319 Cr.P.C.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S SUVARNA COOPERATIVE BANK LIMITED — Appellant Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagarathna, JJ.…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) – Section 482 – Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 120B, 408, 409, 420 and 149 – Quashing of criminal proceedings – Merely because some other persons who might have committed the offences, but were not arrayed as accused and were not charge-sheeted cannot be a ground to quash the criminal proceedings against the accused who is charge-sheeted after a thorough investigation.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S SUVARNA COOPERATIVE BANK LIMITED — Appellant Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagarathna, JJ.…

(IPC) – Ss 201, 302 506-B – Gruesome murder of two of his siblings and one nephew – Conversion of death sentence to life imprisonment for a period of 30 years — It cannot therefore be said that there is no possibility of the appellant being reformed and rehabilitated foreclosing the alternative option of a lesser sentence and making imposition of death sentence imperative – This Court convert the sentence imposed on the appellant from death to life – Death sentence awarded to the appellant is converted to life imprisonment for a period of 30 years:

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH BHAGCHANDRA — Appellant Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH — Respondent ( Before : L. Nageswara Rao, B.R. Gavai and B.V. Nagarathna, JJ. ) Criminal…

(IPC) – 120A, 120B, 107 and 109 – P C Act, 1988 – S 13(1)(e) r/with S 13(2) – Disproportionate Assets- no allegation of a legal act being done in an illegal manner – Therefore, the alleged offence under Section 120-B IPC against the respondent is also not made out from the charge-sheet – Terms of both the chargesheet and the final report, Respondent is not involved with the money trail or the transaction for the purchase of the property which was acquired by A-1, according to the prosecution – It is a fact that not only is the investigation complete, depositions of prosecution witnesses too have been recorded – There cannot be any question of introducing any further evidence – Appeal dismissed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE BY S.P. THROUGH THE SPE CBI — Appellant Vs. UTTAMCHAND BOHRA — Respondent ( Before : K.M. Joseph and S. Ravindra Bhat,…

Consumer Protection Act, 1986 – Section 2(g) – Mediclaim policy – Deficiency in service – Failure to disclose changes in policy conditions at time of renewal of the policy – Insurer was clearly under a duty to inform the policy holders about the limitations which it was imposing in the policy renewed – Its failure to inform the policy holders resulted in deficiency of service.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA SINGLE BENCH JACOB PUNNEN AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. UNITED INDIA INSURANCE CO. LIMITED — Respondent ( Before : S. Ravindrabhat, J. ) Civil Appeal No.…

IMP : Central Excise Act, 1944 Section 35L(1)(b) – HELD allegation of wilful suppression, I find no merit given that this was not the allegation or scope of the Show-Cause Notices issued. Moreover, the representations sent by the Indian Bank Association to the Joint Secretary, TRU, Central Board of Excise and Customs confirm that there was a lack of clarity with regards to the method of payment of this tax, for which there was an ongoing dialogue between the banking institutions and Central Government, negating any claims of “wilful suppression”. One cannot also be oblivious of the fact that the position of law, was in a state of flux, at the relevant period. Hence, and in view of the reasons given above, the present case does not warrant remand to the Tribunal, and this dispute should, in my opinion, stand finally concluded at this stage.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA SINGLE BENCH COMMISSIONER OF GST AND CENTRAL EXCISE — Appellant Vs. M/S CITI BANK N.A — Respondent ( Before : K.M Joseph, J. ) Civil Appeal…

Service Matters

Uttar Pradesh Government Servants Seniority Rules, 1991 – Rule 5 and 8 – Challenge to seniority – It is well settled that impleadment of a few of the affected employees would be sufficient compliance of the principle of joinder of parties and they could defend the interest of all affected persons in their representative capacity – Non-joining of all the parties cannot be held to be fatal

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH AJAY KUMAR SHUKLA AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. ARVIND RAI AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud, Vikram Nath and B.V.…

Land Acquisition Act, 1894 – Section 18 – Acquisition of Land – Compensation – Suppression of material facts -appellants have not disclosed the filing of the suit and its dismissal and also the dismissal of the appeal against the judgment of the civil court, the appellants have to be non-suited on the ground of suppression of material facts – They have not come to the court with clean hands and they have also abused the process of law – Therefore, they are not entitled for the extraordinary, equitable and discretionary relief.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SHRI K. JAYARAM AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. BANGALORE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : S. Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari,…

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