(261) K. S. DINACHANDRAN Vs. SHYLA JOSEPH AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-12-2025 Succession Act, 1925 — Section 63 — Indian Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 68 — Proof of Will — Requirement of attestation — Will excluding one legal heir (daughter) — One attesting witness (DW-2) examined — DW-2 must speak not only to the execution by the testator and his own attestation, but also to the attestation by the other witness — Failure of the Trial Court and High Court to find the Will proved India Law Library Docid # 2437048
(262) OBALAPPA AND OTHERS Vs. PAWAN KUMAR BHIHANI AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-12-2025 Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Suit for Permanent Injunction — Dismissal of Suit — Reversal by High Court — Scope of Interference by Supreme Court — Where the Trial Court dismissed a suit for permanent injunction on grounds of failure to establish title and uncertainty in property identification, and the High Court reversed this relying on unproven and unauthenticated documents/surveys (like a BDA survey not proved or authenticated, and a letter without a clear seal or legible India Law Library Docid # 2437049
(263) SHAIK SHABUDDIN Vs. STATE OF TELANGANA[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-12-2025 Criminal Law — Conviction — Circumstantial Evidence — Last Seen Together Theory — Must establish acquaintance between accused and deceased for theory to apply as a circumstance linking chain; mere fact of accused and deceased being in the same vicinity shortly before the crime, without proven acquaintance, is insufficient to propound the ‘last seen together theory’ as a conclusive link, though presence in same India Law Library Docid # 2437050
(264) M/S ANDHRA PRADESH POWER GENERATION CORPORATION LIMITED (APGENCO) Vs. M/S TECPRO SYSTEMS LIMITED AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-12-2025 Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 11(6) and 11(6-A) — Appointment of Arbitral Tribunal (AT) — Scope of Judicial Scrutiny — The enquiry under Section 11 is confined to a prima facie determination of the existence of an arbitration agreement, and no further — The referral court must refrain from entering into contentious factual or legal issues related to authority, capacity, arbitrability, maintainability, or merits of claims, adhering to the principle of minimal judicial India Law Library Docid # 2437051
(265) LAGUNA RESORT PVT. LTD. Vs. CONCEPT HOSPITALITY PVT. LTD.[BOMBAY HIGH COURT] 17-12-2025 Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 34 and Section 43(4) — Limitation for commencement of fresh proceedings after award is set aside — Exclusion of time spent in previous arbitration proceedings — Scope and Applicability of Section 43(4) — Previous arbitration (under Evergreen Agreement of 2011) partly set aside by High Court on grounds of jurisdiction (Award seeking adjudication of claims for period 1 April 2009 to 11 March 2011 not covered by 2011 India Law Library Docid # 2437255
(266) DILIP GOUR Vs. THE STATE OF ASSAM[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 17-12-2025 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 — Section 6 (Aggravated Penetrative Sexual Assault) r/w Section 42 — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 376(2)(k) — Conviction and Sentence — Appeal from jail against conviction for sexual assault on a minor, deaf and dumb victim — Evidence of victim (PW.5) recorded with the help of an interpreter supported by circumstantial evidence India Law Library Docid # 2437237
(267) SAHAB UDDIN CHOUDHURY Vs. THE STATE OF ASSAM AND OTHERS[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 17-12-2025 Assam Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1964 — Rule 6(1)(a) — Suspension pending departmental proceedings — Duration of suspension — The currency of a suspension order should not extend beyond three months if, within this period, the Memorandum of Charges/Charge-sheet is not served on the delinquent employee — If the Memorandum of Charges/Charge-sheet is served, a reasoned order must be passed for the extension of the suspension — Where neither the chargesheet was India Law Library Docid # 2437238
(268) SRINIBAS GORADIA Vs. ARVIND KUMAR SAHU AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-12-2025 Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 — Section 2(s) — Definition of "workman" — Determination of status — Key determinant is the essence and nature of duties performed, not the designation or nomenclature given by the employer — Courts must look at the kind of primary duties performed (manual, skilled, clerical, etc.) rather than attaching undue importance to the employee's title (e.g., Cashier India Law Library Docid # 2437091
(269) RAHUL AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA[BOMBAY HIGH COURT (NAGPUR BENCH)] 17-12-2025 Criminal Procedure — Appeal against Conviction — Murder (Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC) — Initial investigation treated death as suicide; homicide angle pursued three months later — Conviction largely based on two eyewitnesses (PW-6 and PW-10) — Eyewitness testimony found unreliable due to inordinate delay (three months) in informing police despite knowing deceased and accused, and presence at the scene the India Law Library Docid # 2437116
(270) CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, ACB, NAGPUR Vs. SHRIRAM MAROTI NIRANJANE[BOMBAY HIGH COURT (NAGPUR BENCH)] 17-12-2025 Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 — Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) — Demand and Acceptance of Illegal Gratification — Appeal against acquittal — Essential requirements — Prosecution must prove initial demand and subsequent acceptance beyond reasonable doubt; recovery of tainted money itself is not conclusive proof — Accused's consistent defense was repayment of a hand loan — Material contradictions and omissions in prosecution witnesses' testimonies regarding initial India Law Library Docid # 2437117
(271) JAGANNATH PANDURANG WAGHARE Vs. THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND ANOTHER[BOMBAY HIGH COURT] 17-12-2025 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act) — Section 5(j)(ii), 5(l) read with Section 6 — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 376(2)(f) and (i) (Pre-2018 Amendment) — Rape by father on minor daughter — Conviction and Sentence — Discarding of DNA Evidence (Foetus and Blood Samples) — Importance of Chain of Custody and Purity of Process — Prosecution must examine all relevant witnesses (doctor collecting samples, person storing/carrying samples, India Law Library Docid # 2437165
(272) NARAYAN SINGH DIED THROUGH LEGAL HEIRS SMT. RAMVATI AND OTHERS Vs. AATAM SINGH AND OTHERS[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT (GWALIOR BENCH)] 17-12-2025 Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Order 6 Rule 17 — Amendment of Pleadings — Application at Appellate Stage — Remand — Proposed amendment seeking to introduce facts (concerning possession and alienation) that were already known to the plaintiff since 2004/2018 (including knowledge of partition, agreement, sale deed, and possession by defendant) at the time of filing the suit in 2019 — Amendments are not permissible to fill lacunae, introduce facts already known, or India Law Library Docid # 2437149
(273) JANI AHUJA (DEAD) SMT. NEELAM AHUJA AND OTHERS Vs. SUBODH KUMAR AND OTHERS[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT (GWALIOR BENCH)] 17-12-2025 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 173(1) — Compensation — Enhancement — Death of injured claimant during pendency of appeal for reasons unrelated to accident — Survival of cause of action — Claim for personal injuries abates with the death of the injured; however, claim for loss of estate survives to legal representatives — Legal heirs are entitled to pursue claims for loss of estate (pecuniary loss) which India Law Library Docid # 2437152
(274) SHIKSHA KUMARI Vs. SANTOSH KUMAR[DELHI HIGH COURT] 17-12-2025 Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 — Sections 13B and 13B(1) — 14(1), Proviso — Divorce by mutual consent — Filing of First Motion before completion of one year of separation — Whether the statutory period of one year separation prescribed under Section 13B(1) is mandatory or can be waived — The statutory period of one year separation under Section 13B(1) can be waived by the Family Court or the High Court by invoking the proviso to Section 14(1) of the HMA, thereby allowing parties to India Law Library Docid # 2437456
(275) HASINA YASMIN AND OTHERS Vs. NATIONAL INSURANCE CO. LTD. AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-12-2025 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Compensation — Conventional Heads — Enhancement under National Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Pranay Sethi, (2017) 16 SCC 680 — Standardized amounts for loss of estate, loss of consortium, and funeral expenses (Rs. 15,000, Rs. 40,000, and Rs. 15,000 respectively in 2017) — Pranay Sethi mandates 10% enhancement every three years on these amounts based on price index/escalation — Court expresses doubt on application of this 10% enhancement India Law Library Docid # 2437489
(276) STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH Vs. KRISHNA MURARI SHARMA[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-12-2025 Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 — Reference of Industrial Dispute — Delay in seeking reference — Stale Claim — While a Labour Court/Industrial Tribunal cannot examine the validity of the reference itself, the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India can examine a challenge against the reference order on the ground of non-existence of an industrial dispute or when the issue referred is a stale India Law Library Docid # 2437491
(277) PHOOL SINGH Vs. RANDHEER SINGH AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-12-2025 Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Order 22 — Abatement of Appeal/Revision — Impleading Legal Heirs — Dismissal of entire revision petition as abated merely because legal heirs of one respondent were not impleaded within time constitutes a clear error when the cause of action survives against the other contesting parties — If the revision abates only against the deceased respondent, it should continue against India Law Library Docid # 2437493
(278) RAMESH JADWANI (DIED) THROUGH LRS. AND OTHERS Vs. KESHAV SAHU[CHHATTISGARH HIGH COURT] 17-12-2025 Specific Relief Act, 1963 — Section 16(c) — Suit for specific performance of contract for sale — Mandatory requirement of continuous readiness and willingness — 'Readiness' means financial capacity/ability to pay consideration; 'Willingness' refers to the purchaser's genuine intention to perform the contract — Readiness and willingness must be proven continuously from the date of the agreement till the date of the decree, India Law Library Docid # 2437521
(279) STATE OF CHHATTISGARH Vs. NIVEDITA DALAL[CHHATTISGARH HIGH COURT] 17-12-2025 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 306 — Abetment of Suicide — Essentials — To constitute an offence under Section 306 IPC, the prosecution must establish (1) that the deceased committed suicide and (2) that the accused abetted the commission of such suicide as defined under Section 107 IPC — Specific abetment on the part of the accused, with the intention to bring about the suicide of the person concerned, is required — The India Law Library Docid # 2437522
(280) HEERARAM SAHU Vs. STATE OF CHHATTISGARH[CHHATTISGARH HIGH COURT] 17-12-2025 Criminal Law — Appeal against Conviction — Indian Penal Code, 1860 — Sections 376(2)(<) and 376(2)(B) — Rape — Conviction based on appreciation of evidence — Prosecution proved case beyond reasonable doubt through victim's statement, medical evidence, DNA report, and expert testimony — DNA report confirmed appellant as India Law Library Docid # 2437523