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Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 168 — Notional income of skilled worker — Carpenter — Assessment — The appellant, a carpenter aged 38 years, suffered amputation of his right leg below the knee in a road accident in November 2004 — The Claims Tribunal assessed his monthly income at Rs. 3,000/- and the High Court enhanced it to Rs. 5,000/- relying on minimum wages. Held — A carpenter is a skilled artisan who works with precision and manual dexterity — His income cannot be equated with that of an unskilled worker — Where the appellant’s unrefuted evidence showed earnings of Rs. 8,000/- to Rs. 10,000/- per month, and a skilled job always has the potentiality to fetch higher income, the High Court erred in restricting the figure to Rs. 5,000/- — Considering the date of accident, decisions in comparable cases and the fact of the appellant being a skilled worker, his notional monthly income is assessed at Rs. 9,000/- per month. Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 304 Part II — Culpable Homicide not Amounting to Murder — Conviction and sentence — Appeal against — Abatement of appeal due to death of co-accused — Death of two appellants during pendency of appeal — Appeal survives only for the third appellant. Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950 — Section 154 — Transfer of land in contravention of ceiling limit — Not void ipso facto — Capable of ratification — Legality of transfer to be judged by law on date of execution — Sale deed executed on 04.06.1957 — Ceiling limit then was 30 acres, subsequently amended to 12.5 acres retrospectively from 01.07.1952 — Transfer in contravention of Section 154 not void but voidable at instance of Gaon Sabha coupled with liability for ejectment of transferee under Section 163 — No suit filed for ejectment within limitation period. Specific Relief Act, 1963 — Section 16(c) — “Readiness and Willingness” — Relief of specific performance is equitable and discretionary — Plaintiff must specifically aver and prove continuous readiness and willingness to perform obligations — Failure to do so disentitles plaintiff to relief — “Readiness” refers to financial capacity, “Willingness” to conduct and intention — Both cumulatively must be seen — Conduct of plaintiff prior and subsequent to suit, along with attending circumstances, must be considered — Availability of funds must be proved with reference to relevant time, not by documents created much later. Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 166 and 140 — Compensation for death in motor vehicular accident — Negligence — Truck stationed on road at night without warning lights or indicators — Wagon-R car collided from behind — Held, truck driver was negligent in leaving the vehicle unattended on the road without adequate precautionary measures, which was the proximate cause of the accident.

Restraining of arrest – Text of the order of High Court did not contain any direction restraining the arrest – Oral observations in court are in the course of a judicial discourse -Absent a written record of what has transpired in the course of a judicial proceeding, it would set a dangerous precedent if the parties and the investigating officer were expected to rely on unrecorded oral observations – High Court of issuing oral direction restraining the arrest of first respondent was irregular – Order set aside – Appeal allowed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SALIMBHAI HAMIDBHAI MENON — Appellant Vs. NITESHKUMAR MAGANBHAI PATEL AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah, JJ.…

Appellant has raised false pleas and attempted to mislead Court, while the officials of NOIDA have not acted bona fide in the discharge of their duties – Appellant has stooped to the point of producing a fabricated sanctioned plan – Therefore, This Court confirm the directions of the High Court including the order of demolition and for sanctioning prosecution – Illegal Construction – Violation of building norms – Sanction of prosecution – Reimbursement to flat owners – Conclusion and directions

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SUPERTECH LIMITED — Appellant Vs. EMERALD COURT OWNER RESIDENT WELFARE ASSOCIATION AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud and M.R.…

Mental and physical torture and demands of dowry – Reduction of sentence – Compensation to wife and children – If the appellant is showing remorse and is willing to make arrangements for second wife and his two children born out of the wedlock – This Court not like to come in the way of such an arrangement, which should be beneficial to wife and her children – Object of any criminal jurisprudence is reformative in character and to take care of the victim. reduce the sentence to the period undergone in case the appellant pays to second wife for her benefit and her children’s benefit a sum of Rs.3.00 lakhs

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SAMAUL SK. — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF JHARKHAND AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy, JJ. )…

Service Matters

Principle of equal pay for equal work cannot be applied merely on basis of designation – Basic nature of work of a Stenographer remained by and large the same whether they were working for an officer in the Secretariat or for an officer in a subordinate office – absolute equality ought not to be given – If one may say, there would have been no requirement to make these separate recommendations if everyone was to be treated on parity on every aspect.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. MANOJ KUMAR AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy, JJ.…

HELD Prosecution stands proved against accused-P and accused-S and their appeals deserve to be dismissed while the appeals preferred by accused-I and accused-K deserve acceptance – Accused-I and accused-K be released forthwith unless their custody is required in connection with any other offence – Ordered accordingly.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SANDEEP — Appellant Vs. STATE OF HARYANA — Respondent ( Before : Uday Umesh Lalit and Ajay Rastogi, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 1613…

(IPC) – S 302 r/with S 34 – Arms Act, 1959 – S 25 – Murder by Gunshot – Fired fatal shot from roof of house – Evidence – Appeal against conviction and sentence – Statements of eyewitnesses are quite cogent and consistent with the earliest version recorded in the form of First Information Report – Trajectory of entry of bullet as found in Medical Report is also quite consistent with the version that deceased was shot from a height i.e. the roof of the house – Prosecution stands proved

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SANDEEP — Appellant Vs. STATE OF HARYANA — Respondent ( Before : Uday Umesh Lalit and Ajay Rastogi, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 1613…

HELD Therefore, in the absence of any evidence to show that such records were not maintained properly, the official record containing entries of ownership and possession would carry the presumption of correctness – In view of the transfer of land on 10.10.1956 followed by delivery of possession on 19.3.1958 and continuous assertion of possession thereof, it leads to the unequivocal finding that appellants are owners and in possession of the suit land.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH UNION OF INDIA AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. S. NARASIMHULU NAIDU (DEAD) THROUGH LRS. AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Sanjay Kishan Kaul…

Service Matters

Post of Police Constable- Certain types of offences, like molestation of women, or trespass and beating up, assault, causing hurt or grievous hurt, (with or without use of weapons), of victims, in rural settings, can also be indicative of caste or hierarchy-based behaviour more so, in the case of recruitment for the police force, who are under a duty to maintain order, and tackle lawlessness, since their ability to inspire public confidence is a bulwark to society’s security – Appointment declined – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH COMMISSIONER OF POLICE — Appellant Vs. RAJ KUMAR — Respondent ( Before : K.M. Joseph and S. Ravindra Bhat, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No.…

Murder – Bail – Cancellation of – Habitual offender – Hatching conspiracy from the jail – There is a high possibility of threat and danger to the life and safety of complainant and his family members, as is evident from the criminal history of accused, detailed – Bail cancelled – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH HARJIT SINGH — Appellant Vs. INDERPREET SINGH @ INDER AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah, JJ.…

Service Matters

EPF Pension – Principal questions arise for consideration are whether there would be a cut-off date under paragraph 11(3) of the Employees Pension Scheme and whether the decision in R.C. Gupta & Ors. Etc. etc. vs. Regional Provident Fund Commissioner Employees Provident Fund Organization & Ors. Etc., (2018) 4 SCC 809 would be the governing principle on the basis of which all these matters must be disposed of. Referred to a larger bench.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE EMPLOYEES PROVIDENT FUND ORGANISATION AND ETC. — Appellant Vs. SUNIL KUMAR B AND ETC. — Respondent ( Before : Uday Umesh Lalit and…

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