(701) REKHA K.C. Vs. JYOTHIBAI AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 16-12-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 439 — Bail — Grant of bail by High Court — Requirement of reasons — Bail granted primarily on grounds including accused being a lady aged 41 years, eleven months in custody, no prior criminal antecedents, and having an unmarried daughter, while noting absence of eye-witness to the incident inside the house and existence of case and counter-case — India Law Library Docid # 2437504
(702) THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, REP. BY ITS COMMISSIONER NANDYAL MUNICIPALITY, KURNOOL DISTRICT, A.P. AND OTHERS Vs. K. JAYARAM AND OTHERS ETC. ETC.[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 16-12-2025 Service Law — Contractual Employment — Claim for Minimum Time Scale of Pay — Employees engaged by Municipal Council through a third-party contractor (not directly) and continued working despite change of contractors — High Court directing Municipality to grant minimum time scale of pay and annual grade increments to such contract workers — Supreme Court holds that the relationship between the Municipality (principal) and the workers was indirect, through the India Law Library Docid # 2438130
(703) STATE OF U.P. Vs. AJMAL BEG ETC[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 15-12-2025 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 304-B and 498-A) — Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (DPA, 1961) — Sections 3 and 4 — Dowry Death — Appeal against acquittal — Setting aside High Court's acquittal and restoring Trial Court's conviction — Essential ingredients of Section 304-B IPC established by consistent prosecution evidence regarding dowry demand (motorcycle, TV, and cash) and continuous India Law Library Docid # 2436870
(704) THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH THROUGH PRINCIPAL SECRETARY AND OTHERS Vs. MILKIYAT SINGH AND OTHERS ETC.[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 15-12-2025 Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 — Section 103 — Cooperative societies functioning immediately before reorganisation of States — Object and scope of ‘deemed conversion’ — Section 103 does not automatically convert a cooperative society registered under a State Act into a multi-State cooperative society merely due to State reorganisation (e.g., bifurcation of Uttar Pradesh into Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand) — The conversion under Section 103 depends on whether the 'objects' India Law Library Docid # 2436871
(705) MANOJBHAI JETHABHAI PARMAR (ROHIT) Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 15-12-2025 Criminal Law — Conviction based on Circumstantial Evidence — Appreciation of Evidence — Principles Governing Circumstantial Evidence — A conviction based entirely on circumstantial evidence must satisfy five conditions: (1) Circumstances must be fully established; (2) Facts established must be consistent only with the hypothesis of guilt; (3) Circumstances must be conclusive in nature and tendency; (4) They must exclude every possible hypothesis except guilt; (5) Chain of evidence must India Law Library Docid # 2436872
(706) MOIDEENKUTTY Vs. ABRAHAM GEORGE[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 15-12-2025 Agreement to Sell — Breach of Contract — Refund of Advance — Suppression of Material Fact — Reversal of Trial Court decree by High Court — High Court relying solely on a fleeting admission in cross-examination of plaintiff regarding prior knowledge (August 25, 2008) of mortgage on property, despite agreement being executed later (September 10, 2008) and parties admitting to no prior interaction before September 2008 — Supreme Court held reliance on such solitary, abstract India Law Library Docid # 2436873
(707) DANESH SINGH AND OTHERS Vs. HAR PYARI (DEAD) THR. LRS. AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 15-12-2025 Transfer of Property Act, 1882 — Section 52 — Doctrine of Lis Pendens — Scope and Applicability — Transfer of mortgaged property pendente lite (after institution of suit by bank for recovery/foreclosure but before execution/attachment) is hit by Section 52 — Lack of knowledge of proceedings or possession of No Encumbrance Certificate does not constitute a valid defence against lis pendens, as the doctrine is India Law Library Docid # 2436874
(708) DIRECTOR OF INCOME TAX (IT)-I, MUMBAI. Vs. M/S. AMERICAN EXPRESS BANK LTD.[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 15-12-2025 Income Tax Act, 1961 — Sections 37(1), 44C — Deduction of Head Office Expenditure in case of Non-Residents — Interpretation of Section 44C and 'Head Office Expenditure' — Distinction between ‘Common’ and ‘Exclusive’ Expenditure — Section 44C, being a special provision with a non-obstante clause, governs the quantum of allowable deduction for any expenditure incurred by a non-resident assessee that qualifies as 'head office expenditure' — The definition of 'head office India Law Library Docid # 2436875
(709) NAYAN BHOWMICK Vs. APARNA CHAKRABORTY[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 15-12-2025 Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 — Sections 13(1)(i-a) and 13(1)(i-b) — Divorce — Desertion and Cruelty — Irretrievable Breakdown of Marriage — Where parties have been living separately for a long period (24 years in this case) without any prospect of reconciliation, this long period of separation amounts to mental cruelty to both parties, justifying dissolution of marriage — The marriage is deemed to have broken down irretrievably — Fact that spouses hold strongly views and refuse to accommodate India Law Library Docid # 2436876
(710) M/S NATIONAL INSURANCE CO. LTD. Vs. NEERU DEVI AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 15-12-2025 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Compensation — Assessment of income of deceased — Standard of proof — Where claimants assert a high monthly income (Rs. 95,000/-) for the deceased (a transport contractor owning two trucks), which exceeds the taxable limit, failure to produce Income Tax Returns (ITR) is highly relevant and undermines the claim — The contention that high EMI payments (approx. Rs. India Law Library Docid # 2436877
(711) DEVENDRA KUMAR TRIPATHI AND OTHERS Vs. THE ORIENTAL INSURANCE COMPANY LTD. AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 15-12-2025 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Compensation for Death of a Child — Calculation of Compensation — Deceased 14-year-old schoolboy — Principles adopted for calculating compensation for death of child — Notional monthly income adopted based on Minimum Wages Act, 1948 for a Class B city (Rs. 5400/- per month) — Addition of 40% for future prospects — Multiplier of 15 adopted based on Reshma India Law Library Docid # 2436878
(712) JYOTSNA KANOONGO Vs. SHAILENDRA KANOONGO[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 15-12-2025 Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Order 9 Rule 13 — Setting aside ex-parte decree — Service of Summons — Requirement of proper service — Trial court passing ex-parte divorce decree based on returned unserved postal cover — Husband subsequently obtaining decree continuing relations with wife for 10 years without informing her — Wife filing application under Order 9 Rule 13 CPC upon receiving India Law Library Docid # 2437498
(713) PUNEET BHASIN Vs. YES BANK LIMITED AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 15-12-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Investigation — Stay of Investigation — High Court's jurisdiction — The High Court must be mindful and follow the standards set by the Supreme Court (referencing Niharika Infrastructure Private Limited v. State of Maharashtra) when granting a blanket stay of investigation — Granting interim relief which amounts to a stay of the investigation without recording reasons, particularly when an earlier detailed interim order regulating the investigation was in pl India Law Library Docid # 2437398
(714) ROCKY ABHRAHAM Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-12-2025 Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 32, 136, 142 — Quashing of FIR and proceedings — Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — Sections 39, 49, 51 — NRI passenger arrested at airport for alleged possession of deer horn — Subsequent forensic report confirming the recovered item was a Reindeer horn (Rangifer Tarandus), which is not a protected or prohibited animal under the Act's schedules — Held, continued prosecution India Law Library Docid # 2437479
(715) THE DIRECTOR OF TOWN PANCHAYAT AND OTHERS Vs. M. JAYABAL AND ANOTHER ETC.[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 12-12-2025 Service Law — Compassionate Appointment — Nature of right — Appointment on compassionate bases is a concession, not a matter of right, and serves as an exception to the general rule of public employment under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India — Core objective is to enable the dependent family to tide over sudden financial crisis following the death of the employee, providing relief against India Law Library Docid # 2436750
(716) SITHARA N.S. AND OTHERS Vs. SAI RAM GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 12-12-2025 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 166 — Claim Petition — Standard of Proof — In motor vehicle accident claims, the standard of proof is based on preponderance of probabilities, not proof beyond reasonable doubt — However, claimants must establish three elements: (i) occurrence of accident; (ii) involvement of the specific offending vehicle; and (iii) rash and negligent act of the driver — Mere occurrence of India Law Library Docid # 2436751
(717) RANCHI MUNICIPAL CORPORATION AND ANOTHER Vs. SURESH TIRKEY AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 12-12-2025 Jharkhand Municipal Act, 2011 — Section 606 — Encroachment on municipal property — Interpretation — Section 606 prohibits encroachment or obstruction on "any municipal property" and includes "such as a street or footpath or park" by way of elucidation — The provision is not confined only to streets, footpaths, or parks; it covers all municipal property — High Court Division Bench erred in restricting the India Law Library Docid # 2437509
(718) LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA AND ANOTHER Vs. VITA[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 11-12-2025 Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 — Scope and Applicability — Overriding Effect over State Rent Control Legislations — Whether PP Act 1971 prevails over State Rent Control Acts (such as Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 or Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958) regarding eviction from 'Public Premises' defined under Section 2(e) — Both PP Act 1971 and State Rent Control Acts are India Law Library Docid # 2436681
(719) PRADEEP ARORA AND OTHERS Vs. DIRECTOR, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, GOVT. OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 11-12-2025 Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 — Prevention and Containment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Regulations, 2020 (Maharashtra) — Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19 — Insurance Claim — Eligibility — Requisition of Services — Private medical practitioners — Interpretation of "requisition" in the context of pandemic India Law Library Docid # 2436682
(720) JOTHI @ NAGAJOTHI Vs. THE STATE, REP. BY THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 11-12-2025 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) — Sections 8(c) read with 20(b)(ii)(C) and 29(1) — Conviction for possession of commercial quantity of ganja (23.500 kg) and conspiracy — Appeal against concurrent findings of lower courts — Absence of independent witnesses — Failure to secure independent witnesses is not fatal to the prosecution case, especially under the NDPS Act, if the India Law Library Docid # 2436683