Supreme Court of India Judgements

November 3, 2025 12:58 pm

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Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302, 449, 376, 394 — Appeal against High Court’s upholding of conviction and sentence — Case based on circumstantial evidence — Absence of direct evidence connecting appellant to offense — Falsely implicated — Prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt — No scientific evidence linking appellant — Important witnesses not associated in investigation or produced in court — Appeal allowed, conviction and sentence set aside. Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — Section 138 — Dishonour of cheque — Quashing of proceedings — Cheques issued as security and not for consideration — Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) clearly stated cheques were for security purposes to show banks and not for deposit — Complainant failed to read the complete terms of MOU in isolation and misinterpreted it to claim cheques were converted into debt — Court empowered to consider unimpeachable documents at pre-trial stage to prevent injustice — Complaints under Section 138 NI Act liable to be quashed. Insurance Law — Fire Insurance — Accidental Fire — Cause of fire is immaterial if the insured is not the instigator and there is no fraud. The objective of fire insurance is to indemnify the insured against loss by fire. Tender Conditions — Interpretation — Ambiguity — The terms of a tender must be clear and unambiguous — If a tendering authority intends for a specific document to be issued by a particular authority, it must be clearly stated in the tender conditions — Failure to do so may lead to rejection of the bid being deemed arbitrary and dehors the tender terms. Public Interest Litigation (PIL) — Environmental Protection — Monitoring Committee — Powers and Scope — A PIL was filed concerning environmental issues in Delhi, leading to the appointment of a Monitoring Committee. The Supreme Court clarified that the committee was appointed to prevent misuse of residential premises for commercial purposes and not to interfere with residential premises used as such. Their power was limited to making suggestions to a Special Task Force regarding encroachments on public land, not to summarily seal premises.

Acquittal

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302, 449, 376, 394 — Appeal against High Court’s upholding of conviction and sentence — Case based on circumstantial evidence — Absence of direct evidence connecting appellant to offense — Falsely implicated — Prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt — No scientific evidence linking appellant — Important witnesses not associated in investigation or produced in court — Appeal allowed, conviction and sentence set aside.

Nov 2, 2025 sclaw

Cheque Dishonour

Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — Section 138 — Dishonour of cheque — Quashing of proceedings — Cheques issued as security and not for consideration — Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) clearly stated cheques were for security purposes to show banks and not for deposit — Complainant failed to read the complete terms of MOU in isolation and misinterpreted it to claim cheques were converted into debt — Court empowered to consider unimpeachable documents at pre-trial stage to prevent injustice — Complaints under Section 138 NI Act liable to be quashed.

Nov 2, 2025 sclaw

Acquittal

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302, 449, 376, 394 — Appeal against High Court’s upholding of conviction and sentence — Case based on circumstantial evidence — Absence of direct evidence connecting appellant to offense — Falsely implicated — Prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt — No scientific evidence linking appellant — Important witnesses not associated in investigation or produced in court — Appeal allowed, conviction and sentence set aside.

Nov 2, 2025 sclaw

Cheque Dishonour

Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — Section 138 — Dishonour of cheque — Quashing of proceedings — Cheques issued as security and not for consideration — Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) clearly stated cheques were for security purposes to show banks and not for deposit — Complainant failed to read the complete terms of MOU in isolation and misinterpreted it to claim cheques were converted into debt — Court empowered to consider unimpeachable documents at pre-trial stage to prevent injustice — Complaints under Section 138 NI Act liable to be quashed.

Nov 2, 2025 sclaw

General Insurance

Insurance Law — Fire Insurance — Accidental Fire — Cause of fire is immaterial if the insured is not the instigator and there is no fraud. The objective of fire insurance is to indemnify the insured against loss by fire.

Nov 2, 2025 sclaw

Tenders

Tender Conditions — Interpretation — Ambiguity — The terms of a tender must be clear and unambiguous — If a tendering authority intends for a specific document to be issued by a particular authority, it must be clearly stated in the tender conditions — Failure to do so may lead to rejection of the bid being deemed arbitrary and dehors the tender terms.

Nov 2, 2025 sclaw

Constitution

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) — Environmental Protection — Monitoring Committee — Powers and Scope — A PIL was filed concerning environmental issues in Delhi, leading to the appointment of a Monitoring Committee. The Supreme Court clarified that the committee was appointed to prevent misuse of residential premises for commercial purposes and not to interfere with residential premises used as such. Their power was limited to making suggestions to a Special Task Force regarding encroachments on public land, not to summarily seal premises.

Nov 2, 2025 sclaw

Acquittal

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302, 449, 376, 394 — Appeal against High Court’s upholding of conviction and sentence — Case based on circumstantial evidence — Absence of direct evidence connecting appellant to offense — Falsely implicated — Prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt — No scientific evidence linking appellant — Important witnesses not associated in investigation or produced in court — Appeal allowed, conviction and sentence set aside.

Cheque Dishonour

Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — Section 138 — Dishonour of cheque — Quashing of proceedings — Cheques issued as security and not for consideration — Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) clearly stated cheques were for security purposes to show banks and not for deposit — Complainant failed to read the complete terms of MOU in isolation and misinterpreted it to claim cheques were converted into debt — Court empowered to consider unimpeachable documents at pre-trial stage to prevent injustice — Complaints under Section 138 NI Act liable to be quashed.

General Insurance

Insurance Law — Fire Insurance — Accidental Fire — Cause of fire is immaterial if the insured is not the instigator and there is no fraud. The objective of fire insurance is to indemnify the insured against loss by fire.

Tenders

Tender Conditions — Interpretation — Ambiguity — The terms of a tender must be clear and unambiguous — If a tendering authority intends for a specific document to be issued by a particular authority, it must be clearly stated in the tender conditions — Failure to do so may lead to rejection of the bid being deemed arbitrary and dehors the tender terms.

Service

Army Rules, 1954 – Rule 13(3)(III)(v) – Discharge from service – Offences for which the red ink entries are awarded, cannot be said to be such gross misconduct which would make the appellant indiscipline and liable to be discharged from service and that too, after a period of long service rendered by him – Order of discharge is wholly unjustified and not sustainable at law – Appeal allowed.

Acquittal

(IPC) – Section 409 – Criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent -‘criminal breach of trust’ is defined under Section 405 IPC which provides, inter alia, that whoever being in any manner entrusted with property or with any dominion over a property, dishonestly misappropriates or converts to his own use that property, or dishonestly uses or disposes of that property contrary to law, or in violation of any law prescribing the mode in which such trust is to be discharged, or contravenes any legal contract, express or implied, etc. shall be held to have committed criminal breach of trust

Consumer

Consumer Protection Act, 1986 – Section 2(d)(ii) – Deficiency in service – Any loss arising out of inaction and negligence on the part of the Bank, such deficiency is compensable under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986

Service

Termination–Reservation–In advertisement, authorities failed to mention in regard to reservation for handicapped person at the outset–Appellants who were handicapped person were appointed–On Contempt petition State cancelled the selection and terminated the service–Service restored with backwages.

Acquittal

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302, 449, 376, 394 — Appeal against High Court’s upholding of conviction and sentence — Case based on circumstantial evidence — Absence of direct evidence connecting appellant to offense — Falsely implicated — Prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt — No scientific evidence linking appellant — Important witnesses not associated in investigation or produced in court — Appeal allowed, conviction and sentence set aside.

Cheque Dishonour

Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — Section 138 — Dishonour of cheque — Quashing of proceedings — Cheques issued as security and not for consideration — Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) clearly stated cheques were for security purposes to show banks and not for deposit — Complainant failed to read the complete terms of MOU in isolation and misinterpreted it to claim cheques were converted into debt — Court empowered to consider unimpeachable documents at pre-trial stage to prevent injustice — Complaints under Section 138 NI Act liable to be quashed.

General Insurance

Insurance Law — Fire Insurance — Accidental Fire — Cause of fire is immaterial if the insured is not the instigator and there is no fraud. The objective of fire insurance is to indemnify the insured against loss by fire.

Tenders

Tender Conditions — Interpretation — Ambiguity — The terms of a tender must be clear and unambiguous — If a tendering authority intends for a specific document to be issued by a particular authority, it must be clearly stated in the tender conditions — Failure to do so may lead to rejection of the bid being deemed arbitrary and dehors the tender terms.

Constitution

Government has no right to walk into the Court as and when they want “We have categorized such cases as “certificate cases” where the only purpose is to approach this court to get a certificate of dismissal of the appeal/petition and such endeavours must be discouraged.”

Jun 24, 2020 sclaw

Filing Of ‘Certificate Cases’ Must Be Discouraged, Says SC [Read Order] LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK 21 Jun 2020 11:27 AM “We have categorized such cases as “certificate cases” where the only…

Constitution

Constitution of India, 1950 – Article 136 – Rajasthan Transparency in Public Procurement Rules, 2013 – Rule 70(8) – Grant of contract – Once the bidding process is complete, the appellant is entitled to take work from the successful bidders rather than taking work from the short-term tenderers who were granted contract in exigency of the situation.

Jun 24, 2020 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAJASTHAN STATE WAREHOUSING CORPORATION — Appellant Vs. STAR AGRIWAREHOUSING AND COLLATERAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Hemant Gupta and…

Constitution

IMP ::: Jagannath Rath Yatra – This Court Suggested to the parties that the procession of chariots, i.e., the Rath Yatra itself, could be allowed to proceed, however, without the general congregation which participates in this Yatra and informed that it would be well nigh impossible to ensure that there is no congregation

Jun 24, 2020 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH ODISHA VIKASH PARISHAD — Appellant Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Mr. S.A. Bobde, CJ., Mr. Dinesh Maheshwari…

Corporate

Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) – Requesting for the execution of the SPA – The SPA is in the nature of an agreement to transfer shares at a future date – Application for execution of the SPA is justified

Jun 24, 2020 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SHAKTI NATH AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. ALPHA TIGER CYPRUS INVESTMENT NO.3 LTD. AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Uday Umesh Lalit…

I P C

Penal Code, 1860 – Sections 114 and 307 – Arms Act, 1959 – Section 25(1)(B)(a) – Bombay Police Act, 1951 – Section 135(1) – Attempt to Murder – Sentence enhanced from Six to Seven Years by High Court – Appeal against – Minor discrepancies in evidence and inability to recall details of the description of houses, roads and streets after several years, do not vitiate the evidence of recovery itself

Jun 20, 2020 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MUSTAK @ KANIO AHMED SHAIKH — Appellant Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT — Respondent ( Before : R. Banumathi and Indira Banerjee, JJ. )…

Constitution

Amrapali : SC Directs ED To Transfer JP Morgan’s Attached Money For Construction Purposes HELD that let the attached money of the home buyers, which is diverted as found in the aforesaid order, be transmitted by the Enforcement Directorate to the Amrapali Account [UCO Bank A/c No. 02070210002834] maintained by the Registry of this Court and be utilized for the purpose of construction of the projects.

Jun 20, 2020 sclaw

Amrapali : SC Directs ED To Transfer JP Morgan’s Attached Money For Construction Purposes [Read Order] Nilashish Chaudhary 20 Jun 2020 12:51 PM In a significant development regarding the completion…

Cr P C

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 120-B, 220, 323, 330 348, 506B and 34 – Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) – Sections 197, 245 and 482 – Karnataka Police Act, 1963 – Section 170 – Cognizance of offence – Quashing of proceedings – Want of sanction – Whether sanction is necessary or not may have to be determined at any stage of the proceedings. HELD application under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code is maintainable to quash proceedings which are ex facie bad for want of sanction, frivolous or in abuse of process of court. Proceedings quashed.

Jun 20, 2020 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH D. DEVARAJA — Appellant Vs. OWAIS SABEER HUSSAIN — Respondent ( Before : R. Banumathi and Indira Banerjee, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.…

Constitution

IN RE : THE PROPER TREATMENT OF COVID 19 PATIENTS AND DIGNIFIED HANDLING OF DEAD BODIES IN THE HOSPITALS ETC. – HELD Court direct that all States shall also constitute an expert team of Doctors and other experts for inspection, supervision and guidance of Government hospitals and other hospitals dedicated to Covid-19 – Chief Secretary of state to comply, within 7 days.

Jun 20, 2020 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH IN RE : THE PROPER TREATMENT OF COVID 19 PATIENTS AND DIGNIFIED HANDLING OF DEAD BODIES IN THE HOSPITALS ETC. ( Before :…

Election Laws

Uttar Pradesh Kshettra Panchayat and Zila Panchayat Adhiniyam, 1961 – Section 28(8) – Representation of the People Act, 1951 – Section 94 – Election law – It is a trite position of law that when it comes to the interpretation of statutory provisions relating to election law, jurisprudence on the subject mandates strict construction of the provisions – An election contest is not an action at law or a suit in equity but purely a statutory proceeding, provision for which have to be strictly construed

Jun 20, 2020 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH LAXMI SINGH AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. REKHA SINGH AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : N.V. Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna and Krishna Murari,…

Cr P C

V IMP – DEFAULT BAIL ::: HELD This Court are of the view that neither this Court in its order dated 23.03.2020 (Extension of Limitation) can be held to have eclipsed the time prescribed under Section 167(2) of Cr.P.C. nor the restrictions which have been imposed during the lockdown announced by the Government shall operate as any restriction on the rights of an accused as protected by Section 167(2) CrPC to get to get a default bail

Jun 20, 2020 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH S.KASI — Appellant Vs. STATE THROUGH THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE SAMAYNALLUR POLICE STATION MADURAI DISTRICT — Respondent ( Before : Ashok Bhushan, M.R.…

You missed

Acquittal

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302, 449, 376, 394 — Appeal against High Court’s upholding of conviction and sentence — Case based on circumstantial evidence — Absence of direct evidence connecting appellant to offense — Falsely implicated — Prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt — No scientific evidence linking appellant — Important witnesses not associated in investigation or produced in court — Appeal allowed, conviction and sentence set aside.

Nov 2, 2025 sclaw

Cheque Dishonour

Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — Section 138 — Dishonour of cheque — Quashing of proceedings — Cheques issued as security and not for consideration — Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) clearly stated cheques were for security purposes to show banks and not for deposit — Complainant failed to read the complete terms of MOU in isolation and misinterpreted it to claim cheques were converted into debt — Court empowered to consider unimpeachable documents at pre-trial stage to prevent injustice — Complaints under Section 138 NI Act liable to be quashed.

Nov 2, 2025 sclaw

General Insurance

Insurance Law — Fire Insurance — Accidental Fire — Cause of fire is immaterial if the insured is not the instigator and there is no fraud. The objective of fire insurance is to indemnify the insured against loss by fire.

Nov 2, 2025 sclaw

Tenders

Tender Conditions — Interpretation — Ambiguity — The terms of a tender must be clear and unambiguous — If a tendering authority intends for a specific document to be issued by a particular authority, it must be clearly stated in the tender conditions — Failure to do so may lead to rejection of the bid being deemed arbitrary and dehors the tender terms.

Nov 2, 2025 sclaw