(21) THE PRINCIPAL CHIEF CONSERVATOR OF FOREST AND OTHERS Vs. SURESH MATHEW AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 25-04-2025 Government Contracts & Tenders — Judicial Review — Scope of Interference: The power of judicial review in matters relating to government tenders and contracts is circumscribed — Courts should exercise restraint and interfere only if the process adopted or decision made by the authority is vitiated by mala fides, intended to favour someone, or is so arbitrary and irrational that no responsible authority acting reasonably and in accordance with relevant law could have reached it, or if public inte India Law Library Docid # 2425094
(22) CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Vs. SURENDRA PATWA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 25-04-2025 Banking Law — RBI Master Directions on Frauds — Administrative Action vs. Criminal Proceedings — An administrative action taken by banks under the RBI’s Master Directions (dated 01.07.2016) to classify a borrower’s account as fraudulent stands on a different footing from criminal proceedings (like registration of FIR and subsequent investigation by CBI/Police) initiated based on the detection of fraudulent activity — The former falls within the regulatory domain of the RBI and banks, while the l India Law Library Docid # 2425095
(23) RAJAT GAERA Vs. TARUN RAWAT[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 25-04-2025 Practice and Procedure — Expeditious Disposal — Stay of Trial Proceedings by High Court — Landlord-Tenant Disputes — Where the High Court has stayed the trial or original proceedings in cases, particularly those pending between landlord and tenant, such cases must be heard expeditiously — A stay of the trial inevitably leads to delay in the conclusion of the trial and the entire proceedings thereafter — High Courts should endeavor to dispose of those cases where trial has been stayed by India Law Library Docid # 2425103
(24) SHAKUNTLA DEVI Vs. THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 25-04-2025 Penal Code, 1860 — Section 306 — Abetment of Suicide — Ingredients — Course of Conduct — Proximate Cause — To establish the offence of abetment of suicide under Section 306 IPC, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused committed an active act or illegal omission which instigated the deceased or intentionally aided the deceased in committing suicide — A continuous course of conduct involving mental and physical torture, cruelty, and harassment (in this case, related to India Law Library Docid # 2425134
(25) M/S SRI VENKATESWARA CONSTRUCTIONS Vs. STATE OF ODISHA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 25-04-2025 Tender Law — Interpretation of Conditions — Income Tax Return — “Previous Financial Year” — Due Date for Filing — Section 44AB, Income Tax Act, 1961 — Where a tender notice requires submission of the Income Tax Return (ITR) for the “previous financial year” and the bid submission deadline falls before the statutory due date for filing the ITR for the immediately preceding financial year (especially for assesses subject to tax audit under Section 44AB of the IT Act, 1961, considering applicable e India Law Library Docid # 2425135
(26) MURLIDHAR AGGARWAL (D.) THR. HIS LR. ATUL KUMAR AGGARWAL Vs. MAHENDRA PRATAP KAKAN (D.) THR. LRS. AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 24-04-2025 Uttar Pradesh Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972 — Section 21(1)(a) — Bona Fide Requirement — Assessment by Authorities — Appellate Review — The finding on bona fide requirement of the landlord under Section 21(1)(a) arrived at by the Prescribed Authority after analysing evidence regarding the landlord’s income, financial status, family needs, and lack of alternative business requires cogent and convincing reasons for reversal by the Appellate Authority — The Ap India Law Library Docid # 2425055
(27) THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND OTHERS Vs. S. LALITHA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 24-04-2025 Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 — Sections 19, 20 & 21 — Limitation — Exhaustion of Remedies — Effect of Representation — (i) Section 21 prescribes a limitation period of one year for approaching the Tribunal, reckoned from the date of the final order rejecting a statutory remedy (like appeal/revision) or from the expiry of six months after making such statutory representation if no order is passed. India Law Library Docid # 2425056
(28) ASIM MALLIK Vs. THE STATE OF ODISHA[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 24-04-2025 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 — Section 20(b)(ii)(C) Commercial Quantity — Special Leave Petition — Bail — Grant by Supreme Court — Considerations — Period of Incarceration — In a Special Leave Petition concerning bail for an offence involving commercial quantity under Section 20(b)(ii)(C) of the NDPS Act, where the petitioner had initially been granted interim bail by the High Court, the Supreme Court may grant regular bail considering the significant period of incarcerat India Law Library Docid # 2425057
(29) M/S CHITHRA WOODS MANORS WELFARE ASSOCIATION Vs. SHAJI AUGUSTINE[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 24-04-2025 Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 — Section 2(b) — Civil Contempt — Wilful Disobedience — Failure to comply with a specific monetary direction passed by the Supreme Court (directing payment of arrears of use and occupation charges in instalments), despite seeking and obtaining time or benefit under related court orders (like status quo), constitutes wilful disobedience amounting to civil contempt, especially when the contemnor continues to enjoy the property and its benefits without making payments o India Law Library Docid # 2425096
(30) RAJU NARYANA SWAMY Vs. STATE OF KERALA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-04-2025 Service Law — Promotion — Indian Administrative Service (IAS) — Chief Secretary Grade — Consideration of Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs/PARs) — ‘Washed Off’ Principle — Adverse entries prior to earlier promotion — In considering promotion to the highest echelons of civil service, the entire service record of the officer may be examined — However, adverse entries recorded prior to an earlier promotion are generally treated as having lost their sting (‘weak material’), unless such entries perta India Law Library Docid # 2424965
(31) MUPPIDI LAKSHMI NARAYANA REDDY AND OTHERS Vs. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-04-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 482 — Quashing of proceedings — Matrimonial dispute — Allegations against relatives of husband — Where allegations against the husband's relatives (appellants residing in Hyderabad) concerning dowry demands related to a marriage based in Guntur are omnibus and general in nature, lacking specific details or dates of their alleged visits or acts of instigation or demand, such prosecution is unsustainable. India Law Library Docid # 2424966
(32) STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH Vs. SANJAY KUMAR[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-04-2025 Criminal Appeal — Appeal Against Acquittal — Scope of Interference — The Supreme Court ordinarily refrains from interfering with a judgment of acquittal rendered by the High Court, particularly when the High Court’s assessment of the evidence presents a plausible view of the matter. India Law Library Docid # 2424967
(33) PRAMILA DEVI AND OTHERS Vs. THE STATE OF JHARKHAND AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-04-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Sections 190, 204 — Cognizance on Police Report — Requirement of Reasons — An order taking cognizance of offences based upon a police report (chargesheet) and accompanying materials does not necessitate the recording of detailed or elaborate reasons articulating the basis for satisfaction — Indication in the order that the Magistrate/Judge has perused the relevant materials (like ‘case diary and case record’) and formed an opinion that a prima facie case is India Law Library Docid # 2424968
(34) SIVAKUMAR Vs. THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-04-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 – Section 482 – Quashing of Chargesheet – Lack of Involvement – Where the undisputed facts demonstrate that the accused-appellant assumed the relevant managerial position significantly after the alleged criminal transaction (auction sale and issuance of sale certificate under SARFAESI Act) concluded, and had no role, authority, or involvement in the process leading to the allegations (cheating, forgery by suppression of encumbrance), the continuation of criminal pro India Law Library Docid # 2424969
(35) STATE OF SIKKIM AND OTHERS Vs. DR. MOOL RAJ KOTWAL[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-04-2025 Service Law — Leave Encashment — Sikkim Government Services (Leave) Rules, 1982 — Rule 36 — Scope and Applicability — The entitlement to cash payment in lieu of unutilized earned leave under Rule 36 is specifically available to a Government servant who retires from service under the Sikkim Government Service Rules, 1974 (Service Rules), upon attaining the age of superannuation — This benefit is capped at a maximum of 300 days’ leave salary standing at credit on the date of India Law Library Docid # 2424970
(36) RAJEEV GUPTA AND OTHERS Vs. PRASHANT GARG AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-04-2025 Limitation Act, 1963 — Articles 58, 59 & 65 — Composite suit involving cancellation of instrument and recovery of possession — Where a suit necessitates seeking cancellation of registered sale deeds as the primary relief to effectively recover possession, the limitation period is governed by Article 59 (three years from when the facts entitling cancellation first become known), not the longer period under Article 65 for possession based on title — Abandoning the cancellation prayer or seeking de India Law Library Docid # 2424971
(37) MAHARANA PRATAP SINGH Vs. THE STATE OF BIHAR AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-04-2025 Administrative Law — Disciplinary Proceedings — Validity of Chargesheet — Natural Justice — Disciplinary proceedings initiated based on a chargesheet that is vague, indefinite, lacks material particulars, and does not conform to applicable procedural rules (Rule 55, Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1930, requiring specific charges and a statement of allegations) are vitiated from inception, as they deny the charged employee a proper and reasonable opportunity to defend India Law Library Docid # 2424972
(38) STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH THROUGH PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF PANCHAYATI RAJ, LUCKNOW Vs. RAM PRAKASH SINGH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-04-2025 Administrative Law — Disciplinary Proceedings — Conduct of Enquiry — Natural Justice & Procedural Fairness — U.P. Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1999 — Rule 7(vii) — An enquiry conducted in disregard of Rule 7(vii) of the 1999 Rules, where no witnesses are examined in support of the charges, documents relied upon (including those from a preliminary enquiry) are neither supplied to the delinquent nor proved by competent witnesses, and findings are arrived at merely on the basi India Law Library Docid # 2424973
(39) HUSSAIN AHMED CHOUDHURY AND OTHERS Vs. HABIBUR RAHMAN (DEAD) THROUGH LRs AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-04-2025 Specific Relief Act, 1963 — Sections 31 & 34 — Suit for Declaration of Title and Possession — Cancellation of Subsequent Instrument Executed by Stranger — Necessity — A plaintiff seeking declaration of title based on a valid prior instrument (Gift Deed) and recovery of possession is not obligated under law to seek the consequential relief of cancellation (under Section 31) of a subsequent registered instrument (Sale Deed) executed concerning the same property by a third party who is a stranger t India Law Library Docid # 2424974
(40) RAMACHANDRAIAH AND ANOTHER Vs. M. MANJULA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-04-2025 Constitution of India — Article 226 — Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Sections 156(3), 173(8), 482 — Power to Direct CBI Investigation — Constitutional Courts (High Court under Article 226 and Supreme Court) possess extraordinary power to direct investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or order further investigation/re-investigation, including transferring investigation from one agency to another — This power is to be exercised sparingly, cautiously, and in exceptional circumst India Law Library Docid # 2424975