(681) NEW INDIA ASSURANCE CO. LTD. Vs. REKHA CHAUDHARY AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-02-2026 Employees' Compensation Act, 1923 — Section 4A(3)(b) — Penalty for default in payment of compensation — Employer's liability — Legislative intent of amendment in 1995 aimed to separate penalty from compensation and interest, placing it solely on the employer due to personal fault or negligence, to ease the burden on India Law Library Docid # 2439893
(682) DR. NARESH KUMAR GARG Vs. STATE OF HARYANA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 23-02-2026 Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 — Section 30(1) and Rule 18A(2)(ii) — Search and Seizure — Validity of search authorised by a single member of the District Appropriate Authority — Ratio in Ravinder Kumar applies, holding such a search illegal. However, evidence collected during an illegal search is not automatically vitiated and India Law Library Docid # 2439894
(683) VIKRAM NATH Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND OTHERS[RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 226 — Writ petition seeking compassionate appointment — Rejection of application on ground of applicant's age at time of father's death — Held, compassionate appointment is exception to general rule of recruitment, meant to mitigate hardship of deceased employee's family — Employer cannot be compelled to wait indefinitely for minor child to attain majority for India Law Library Docid # 2440095
(684) MS SIMRAN Vs. THE STATE NCT OF DELHI AND ANOTHER[DELHI HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Arms Act, 1959 — Section 25 — Possession of Arms and Ammunition — "Possession" requires conscious knowledge or mental element, not just physical custody without awareness. India Law Library Docid # 2440107
(685) RAMASHANKAR SHAH Vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Bail — Default Bail — Section 480(6) of B.N.S.S. 2023 — Right to Bail if Trial Not Concluded Within 60 Days — The court must consider the application for default bail under Section 480(6) of B.N.S.S. 2023 if the trial of a non-bailable offence is not concluded within sixty days from the first date fixed for taking evidence, unless there India Law Library Docid # 2440264
(686) NIRMAL SINGH CHAUHAN Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND OTHERS[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT (GWALIOR BENCH)] 23-02-2026 Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1966 — Rule 13(2) — Initiation of Disciplinary Proceedings — A disciplinary authority competent to impose only minor penalties can initiate major penalty proceedings. India Law Library Docid # 2440265
(687) NARENDRA KUMAR SAMADHIYA Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND OTHERS[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT (GWALIOR BENCH)] 23-02-2026 Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1966 — Rule 15(1) — Further Inquiry vs. De Novo Inquiry — Rule 15(1) allows the disciplinary authority to remit a case for further inquiry, but not for a fresh or de novo inquiry, which requires a new inquiry process. India Law Library Docid # 2440266
(688) DEEPA SHARMA Vs. RISHAB SARSWATI[HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 — Section 13(1)(ia) & (ib) — Transfer of proceedings — Divorce petition filed by husband — Wife seeks transfer from Shimla to Mandi — Grounds: extreme distance (over 200 km), residing with daughter who is studying in Mandi, financial constraints of wife who bears all expenses for daughter, and general inconvenience of travel for a woman alone — Held, convenience of wife is a India Law Library Docid # 2440490
(689) KRANTI VEER SINGH AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF HP AND OTHERS[HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 320(3) — Compounding of offences — Offences punishable under Sections 323, 427, and 506 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) are compoundable, where other offences are also compoundable — High Court has quashed similar FIRs based on compromise India Law Library Docid # 2440491
(690) VIJAY SINGH Vs. STATE OF HP[HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 311 — Recalling witnesses — Power of the court to summon or recall a witness is discretionary and must be exercised judiciously to meet the ends of justice and for strong and valid reasons — Essentiality of evidence for a just decision is the primary factor, not filling loopholes India Law Library Docid # 2440492
(691) ASHOK KUMAR Vs. MONIKA SHARMA[HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 311 — Recall of witness — Change of counsel — Application to recall a witness or produce additional documents cannot be allowed merely on the ground of change of counsel. Subsequent engagement of a new counsel does not grant a right to further delay the proceedings or re-examine witnesses as if the first counsel's handling of the case was incompetent. India Law Library Docid # 2440493
(692) ABHISHEK Vs. STATE OF HP AND OTHERS[HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 279 and 337 — Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Sections 181 and 196 — FIR quashed on compromise — Accused filed petition for quashing of FIR registered for offences under IPC and MV Act on grounds of compromise between parties — Informant recorded statement confirming voluntary India Law Library Docid # 2440494
(693) DIWAN CHAND Vs. MAST RAM AND ANOTHER[HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — Section 138 — Dishonour of cheque — Appeal against acquittal — High Court can interfere with an acquittal order only if it is perverse, based on misreading of evidence, or omits to consider material evidence, and no reasonable person could have acquitted the accused. — In cases under Section India Law Library Docid # 2440495
(694) ARVIND BHARDWAJ Vs. NETTAR SINGH[HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — Section 138 — Dishonour of cheque — Ingredients of offence — Drawing of cheque for discharge of debt or liability, presentation, dishonour for insufficient funds or stop payment, giving written notice to drawer, and failure of drawer to pay within 15 days of notice — All ingredients must be proved. India Law Library Docid # 2440496
(695) NIKI PARMAR @ JOGI Vs. STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH[HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — Section 483 — Regular Bail — Petitioners incarcerated for two months in a case under Sections 4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 — Investigation is complete, and nothing remains to be recovered — Reason for opposing bail is non-arrest of a co-accused, India Law Library Docid # 2440497
(696) SHANKAR LAL Vs. UNION OF INDIA THROUGH WESTERN CENTRAL RAILWAY JABALPUR[RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT (JAIPUR BENCH)] 23-02-2026 Railways Act, 1989 — Section 124A — Compensation for untoward incidents — Bona fide passenger — Absence of ticket — Mere absence of a ticket with the deceased does not automatically disqualify a claim for compensation if the deceased was a bona fide passenger. The initial burden of proof lies with the claimant, which India Law Library Docid # 2440195
(697) UNITED INDIA INSURANCE CO.LTD. Vs. DEEPMALA AND OTHERS[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT (GWALIOR BENCH)] 23-02-2026 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 146 — Compulsory Third-Party Insurance — Liability of Insurer for Trailer Accidents — The insurer of a tractor is liable for compensation in an accident caused by the tractor pulling an uninsured trailer, as the tractor's operation was the proximate cause of the accident. India Law Library Docid # 2440320
(698) VIJAY KUMAR Vs. STATE OF HP AND OTHERS[HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Office Orders — Withdrawal — Withdrawal of office order dated 28.03.2025 by subsequent office order dated 27.08.2025 renders original grievance infructuous — Petitioner's grievances redressed by withdrawal of impugned order. India Law Library Docid # 2440388
(699) HIMANSHU DILIP KULKARNI Vs. STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH AND OTHERS[HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Habeas Corpus petition — Maintainability — Child custody dispute between parents — High Court has held that writ of habeas corpus is maintainable only where detention of a minor is illegal and without authority of law, and not for mere examination of legality of custody — In cases of dispute between husband and wife India Law Library Docid # 2440389
(700) STATE OF CHHATTISGARH Vs. SMEC INTERNATIONAL[CHHATTISGARH HIGH COURT] 23-02-2026 Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 37 — Appeal against order returning application for want of jurisdiction — An order returning an application under Section 34 for presentation before the competent Court due to lack of jurisdiction is a procedural order and not an appealable order under Section 37(1)(c) of the Act, which only allows appeals against orders setting aside or refusing to set aside an arbitral award. — India Law Library Docid # 2440641