(261) YUSUF KHAN Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS[BOMBAY HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 439 — Bail — Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) — Section 43D(5) — Prima facie case — Mere knowledge or discussion is not enough; meeting of minds is essential for conspiracy — Conspiracy can be inferred from circumstantial evidence — Court must consider materials as a whole, not piecemeal — Admissibility of documents at bail stage not to be questioned. India Law Library Docid # 2439007
(262) JAIRAM S. MULCHANDANI Vs. STANLEY DSOUZA[BOMBAY HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 — Section 24(b) — Agreement of licence in writing — Conclusive evidence — A registered leave and license agreement constitutes conclusive evidence of the facts stated within it, and no evidence contradicting these facts can be admitted. India Law Library Docid # 2439008
(263) M/S. MAVERICK DEVELOPER AND COLONIZERS PVT. LTD. Vs. PROJECT OFFICER[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 vs. MP Madhyastham Adhikaran Adhiniyam, 1983 — Applicability — Disputes arising from works contracts involving State Government or public undertakings are to be referred to the Tribunal established under the 1983 Act, not the 1996 Act. Previous Supreme Court judgments have affirmed the India Law Library Docid # 2439103
(264) KAMLA PATEL Vs. GOVIND BAHADUR[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 112 — Presumption of legitimacy of child born during marriage — Rebuttal by DNA test — DNA test can be ordered in cases of divorce petitions based on adultery, where there are sufficient pleadings of non-access, and no declaration is sought regarding illegitimacy of the child. India Law Library Docid # 2439104
(265) STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH Vs. UMESH CHAUDHARY[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 354-ka(1)(i) — Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty — Appeal against acquittal — Delay in lodging FIR — Unexplained delay of four days in lodging FIR by prosecutrix, which was not explained by prosecution. India Law Library Docid # 2439105
(266) MOHD SOHRAAB Vs. MOHD NAFEES AND OTHERS[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 M.P. Municipalities Act, 1961 — Section 24(2) — Representation of People Act, 1951 — Section 101 — Election Law — Declaration of runner-up as elected candidate — Principles — Election Tribunal set aside election of returned candidate due to suppression of material facts in nomination form — Tribunal declared runner-up as elected — High Court held that when there are multiple candidates in fray and election of India Law Library Docid # 2439106
(267) KANHAIYA LAL ASWANI Vs. DEEPAK MANOHAR LAL CHAWALA AND OTHERS[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Commercial Courts Act, 2015 — Section 2(c)(vii) — Definition of commercial dispute — Agreements relating to immovable property used exclusively in trade or commerce — Suit for eviction based on statutory rights under the M.P. Accommodation Control Act, 1961, does not fall under this definition, even if the property is a shop used India Law Library Docid # 2439107
(268) GANGA INFRATECH THROUGH ITS PARTNER MR. PALASH RAJANI AND OTHERS Vs. M/S JOHARI LAND AND FINANCE THROUGH ITS PARTNER RAJENDRA SONI AND OTHERS[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT (INDORE BENCH)] 20-01-2026 Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 8 — Power to refer parties to arbitration — When a court allows an application under Section 8, it must refer the parties to arbitration and ceases to have the authority to decide further disputes between them. The civil suit becomes redundant once the Section 8 application is allowed. India Law Library Docid # 2439108
(269) SIMRANJIT SINGH Vs. ROHIT ARORA AND OTHERS[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Court Fees Act, 1870 — Section 7(i) and 7(iv) — Ad valorem Court Fee — Suits for money including damages or compensation fall under Section 7(i) and require ad valorem Court fee on the amount claimed — Plaintiff cannot avoid payment of ad valorem Court fee by adding other prayers. India Law Library Docid # 2439211
(270) LALU RAM @ LALLU RAM AND OTHERS Vs. ANISHA MODI[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Eviction — Provisional Rent Assessment — Denial of landlord-tenant relationship does not relieve a tenant from the obligation to deposit rent unless the payment is lawful and bona fide. A tenant cannot avoid payment by simply disputing title or the relationship. The tenant's status as the occupant is key, and the obligation to pay rent remains even amidst ownership disputes India Law Library Docid # 2439212
(271) ESTATE OFFICER, HARYANA URBAN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Vs. SAMUNDER SINGH AND OTHERS[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Land Acquisition Act, 1894 — Acquisition of Land — Proof of Acquisition — For land to be considered acquired, it must be specifically mentioned in notifications under Sections 4 and 6, and the award under Section 9 — Evidence of entry in rapat roznamcha alone is insufficient if the land is not described in the official acquisition documents. India Law Library Docid # 2439224
(272) SATYAWAN Vs. STATE OF HARYANA AND OTHERS[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Service Law — Reimbursement of Medical Expenses — Emergency Treatment — Government employees are entitled to reimbursement of medical expenses incurred in private, non-impaneled hospitals in case of emergency, even if an emergency certificate is issued by that hospital. The paramount consideration for parents in an emergency is the child's treatment, not procedural reimbursement rules. India Law Library Docid # 2439225
(273) PRAKASH Vs. RAJBIR (SINCE DECEASED) THROUGH HIS LRS.[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Specific Relief Act, 1963 — Section 10 — Performance of contract — Agreement to sell — Concurrent findings of lower courts — Appellate court cannot interfere with findings of fact even if erroneous, unless there is an error in law or procedure. India Law Library Docid # 2439226
(274) JYOTI PHULIA Vs. STATE OF HARYANA[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 319 — Power to proceed against other persons appearing to be guilty of offence — Summoning additional accused — Requisite evidence — Power under Section 319 CrPC is discretionary and extraordinary, to be exercised sparingly and only when strong and cogent evidence exists, not merely on probability or suspicion — Evidence must be stronger than a prima facie case required India Law Library Docid # 2439227
(275) GURLAL SINGH AND OTHERS Vs. ORIENTAL INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED AND OTHERS[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 147 — Insurance Liability — Tractor-Trailer Accidents — Insurance coverage for a tractor extends to accidents caused by a trailer attached to it, even if the trailer is not separately insured — The insurer cannot escape liability solely because the trailer was not specifically insured, especially when the tractor is the primary cause of the accident — The beneficial nature of the Motor Vehicles Act India Law Library Docid # 2439228
(276) RAJEEV GUPTA AND OTHERS Vs. KULDEEP AND OTHERS[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 20-01-2026 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Sections 166 and 140 — Motor Accident Claims Tribunal — Appeal against award — Owner's appeal challenging liability — Insurance company's appeal for enhancement of compensation — Common award, common claim petition, accident date, parties, and issues — Appeals to be decided together. India Law Library Docid # 2439229
(277) STATE OF PUNJAB Vs. JASWINDER KAUR @ GHUKKAR[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 19-01-2026 Limitation Act, 1963 — Section 5 — Condonation of delay — Liberal approach — When required — A liberal approach should be taken for condoning delay to promote substantial justice, which includes adjudicating a claim on its merits rather than rejecting it based on limitation. However, this liberal approach cannot be a substitute for a reasonable explanation. The applicant must provide cogent, credible, and clear reasons for the delay. Inexplicable delay should not be condoned. India Law Library Docid # 2438328
(278) M/S. SUPER CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATES Vs. STATE OF UTTARAKHAND AND OTHERS[UTTARAKHAND HIGH COURT] 19-01-2026 Tender Proceedings - Rejection of Bid - Scope of Judicial Review - Courts should not interfere with tender evaluation unless the process is mala fide, arbitrary, or irrational. The tendering authority, being the author of the tender documents, is best placed to interpret its requirements. Interference is warranted only if the decision-making process is flawed, not just to correct perceived errors of judgment or commercial choices. India Law Library Docid # 2438339
(279) M/S DELTA LTD. Vs. STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND OTHERS[CALCUTTA HIGH COURT] 19-01-2026 Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 — Section 7(7) — Appeal by employer — Deposit of amount — Conditions for admission of appeal — Proviso to Section 7(7) requires employer to deposit amount equal to gratuity required to be deposited under Section 7(4) at the time of filing appeal — Such deposit refers to the entire amount India Law Library Docid # 2438731
(280) SANKAR SHAW AND OTHERS Vs. THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ANOTHER[CALCUTTA HIGH COURT] 19-01-2026 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302 and 201 — Murder and Causing Disappearance of Evidence — Circumstantial Evidence — Held, conviction sustainable when prosecution establishes a complete chain of evidence including motive, last seen theory, and pervasive control of the accused over the victim's person and property. Relying on the five principles laid down in Sharad Birdhichand Sharda India Law Library Docid # 2438732