Supreme Court - The Legal Chamber

Supreme Court :NIT Professors Win Notional Promotions But Lose Back Pay & Experience Claims

15Jan

By The Legal ChamberNo Comments

Supreme Court

Supreme Court :NIT Professors Win Notional Promotions But Lose Back Pay & Experience Claims

The Supreme Court held that the 2023 statutory amendment introducing Statute 9 was clarificatory and retrospective in nature. It cured the legal defect identified by the High Court in the earlier executive instruction, thereby validating the one-time relaxation for promotion. The amendment did not overreach judicial power but removed the basis of the earlier judgment. Facts Of The Case: The case involves Assistant Professors at NIT Kurukshetra who, despite lacking the required Academic Grade Pay, were granted a one-time relaxation via a 2017 Government letter to apply for promotion to Associate Professor. Following an advertisement in 2018, they were selected. However, the Punjab & Haryana High Court struck down the relaxation, ruling it contravened the NIT Act's Statutes...

Decade-Long Separation Ends: Supreme Court Grants Divorce Under Article 142

15Jan

By The Legal ChamberNo Comments

Supreme Court

Decade-Long Separation Ends: Supreme Court Grants Divorce Under Article 142

The Supreme Court invoked Article 142 of the Constitution to dissolve the marriage on grounds of irretrievable breakdown. It awarded Rs. 1 crore as permanent alimony and full settlement of all claims, quashing all related proceedings. The decree was conditional upon payment within three months. Facts Of The Case: The marriage between Rekha Minocha (appellant-wife) and Amit Shah Minocha (respondent-husband) was solemnized on October 5, 2009. The wife alleged mental and physical harassment by her in-laws, leading her to leave the matrimonial home on April 15, 2010. While residing at her parental home, she gave birth to their son on December 28, 2010. Subsequently, she initiated legal proceedings, including an application for maintenance under Section 125 of the CrPC in 2013 and a case unde...

Supreme Court Rules No Compassionate Job if Retiral Benefits Accepted

15Jan

By The Legal ChamberNo Comments

Supreme Court

Supreme Court Rules No Compassionate Job if Retiral Benefits Accepted

The Supreme Court ruled that for a missing person, the date of civil death is legally presumed to be after seven years from disappearance, not the date they went missing, as per Section 108 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. A court decree declaring death merely recognizes this presumption without fixing an earlier date. This legal presumption is central to claims dependent on establishing the date of death. Facts Of The Case: The case involved a claim for compassionate appointment by Shubham, the son of Gulab Mahagu Bawankule, an employee of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Gulab went missing on September 1, 2012. During the period of his disappearance, he was treated as being in continuous service and was duly retired on January 31, 2015. His family received all retiral ben...

Specific Performance Upheld: Supreme Court Reinstates Decree in Property Dispute

15Jan

By The Legal ChamberNo Comments

Supreme Court

Specific Performance Upheld: Supreme Court Reinstates Decree in Property Dispute

The Supreme Court held that the High Court exceeded its jurisdiction under Section 100 CPC by interfering with the first appellate court's findings of fact, particularly regarding additional payment and the plaintiff's readiness and willingness. The Court reiterated that time is not ordinarily the essence in immovable property contracts and that acceptance of further payment post-deadline constitutes a waiver of the right to forfeit earnest money, making the suit for specific performance maintainable without a separate declaratory relief. Facts Of The Case: The appellant, Annamalai, entered into a registered sale agreement dated 08.01.2010 with Saraswathi (D-1) and Dharmalingam (D-2) for two property items. The total consideration was Rs. 4,80,000, of which Rs. 4,70,000 was paid as a...

Supreme Court Upholds Life Sentence in Dowry Death Case: The Importance of Dying Declarations

15Jan

By The Legal ChamberNo Comments

Supreme Court

Supreme Court Upholds Life Sentence in Dowry Death Case: The Importance of Dying Declarations

This Supreme Court judgment clarifies the legal principle regarding multiple dying declarations. The Supreme Court held that each declaration must be assessed independently for evidentiary value. It ruled that the first, corroborated dying declaration recorded by an independent witness (a doctor) was reliable, and minor discrepancies in subsequent versions did not invalidate it, justifying the High Court's reversal of the acquittal. Facts Of The Case: The prosecution's case was that the appellant, Jemaben, conspired with a co-accused to kill Leelaben and her son, Ganesh. On the intervening night of November 29-30, 2004, while the victims were sleeping in their hut, Jemaben poured kerosene on Leelaben and set her on fire. Leelaben suffered severe burns and succumbed to her injuries on...

“Mere Suspicion Not Proof”:Supreme Court Landmark Ruling on Circumstantial Evidence

13Jan

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Supreme Court

“Mere Suspicion Not Proof”:Supreme Court Landmark Ruling on Circumstantial Evidence

This Supreme Court judgment underscores the stringent standards for conviction based on circumstantial evidence. It holds that the prosecution must establish a complete and unbroken chain of circumstances, excluding every hypothesis of innocence. Where gaps exist or alternative possibilities emerge, the benefit of doubt must be accorded to the accused, leading to acquittal if guilt is not proven beyond reasonable doubt. Facts Of The Case: An 85-year-old woman, living alone in Coimbatore, was found murdered in her home on the morning of December 19, 2016. She had been strangled with a towel, sexually assaulted, and her two gold bangles were missing. The prosecution's case relied on circumstantial evidence against the appellant, Mohamed Sameer Khan. Key points included that the appellant w...

Supreme Court Rules on Vicarious Liability in Group Assault Case

13Jan

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Supreme Court

Supreme Court Rules on Vicarious Liability in Group Assault Case

In this Supreme Court judgement, the Supreme Court affirmed the conviction of appellants under Sections 302 and 307 read with Section 149 IPC. The Court clarified that vicarious liability under Section 149 applies when a member of an unlawful assembly shares its common object, irrespective of direct commission of the fatal act. It upheld that active facilitation and participation in a coordinated attack establishes guilt. Facts Of The Case: On April 27, 1999, Ankush Gholap and others were returning from Bhor in a jeep when they were intercepted by six accused persons on two motorcycles. The accused, armed with weapons like knives and a sattur, stopped the jeep near Navi Ali. Accused no. 3 removed the jeep's keys and assaulted the driver, while the others dragged Ankush and two other occu...

Insurance Must Pay Victims First: Supreme Court Upholds ‘Pay and Recover’ in Route Deviation Case

13Jan

By The Legal ChamberNo Comments

Supreme Court

Insurance Must Pay Victims First: Supreme Court Upholds ‘Pay and Recover’ in Route Deviation Case

This Supreme Court judgment affirms the application of the "pay and recover" principle where an insured vehicle deviates from its permitted route. While the insurer remains statutorily liable to compensate accident victims, it is entitled to subsequently recover the paid amount from the policyholder for breaching the contract's geographical terms. Facts Of The Case: On October 7, 2014, the deceased Srinivasa (alias Murthy) died on the spot after his motorcycle was hit by a rashly and negligently driven bus (KA-52-9099). His dependents filed a claim petition before the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT) seeking compensation. The Tribunal awarded ₹18,86,000. Dissatisfied, the claimants appealed to the High Court for enhanced compensation, while the insurance company also appealed...

Lawyer’s Unconditional Apology Convinces Supreme Court to Delete Adverse Remarks and Penalty

13Jan

By The Legal ChamberNo Comments

Supreme Court

Lawyer’s Unconditional Apology Convinces Supreme Court to Delete Adverse Remarks and Penalty

The Supreme Court emphasized the duty of counsel to respect the Court's expressed inclination and maintain decorum. While continuous insistence after the Court indicates its mind is improper, the Bench accepted an unconditional apology in this instance. Accordingly, it exercised its discretion to delete adverse remarks and the costs imposed in the original order. Facts Of The Case: The State Election Commission of Uttarakhand filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court challenging an interlocutory order of the High Court. The High Court had stayed a clarification issued by the Commission, holding it to be contrary to statutory provisions. During the hearing on September 26, 2025, the Supreme Court repeatedly communicated to the Commission's counsel that the matter did not warrant...

“Demand & Acceptance” Not Proved: Supreme Court Acquits Official in Anti-Corruption Case

13Jan

By The Legal ChamberNo Comments

Supreme Court

“Demand & Acceptance” Not Proved: Supreme Court Acquits Official in Anti-Corruption Case

The Supreme Court reiterated the established principle that an appellate court should not reverse an acquittal unless the trial court’s view is perverse or based on a manifest misreading of evidence. The prosecution must prove the foundational facts of demand and acceptance of a bribe beyond reasonable doubt, and mere recovery of money is insufficient for conviction under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Facts Of The Case: The appellant, an Assistant Commissioner of Labour, was accused of demanding a bribe of ₹9,000 from a labour contractor for renewing three licences. The prosecution alleged that a partial payment of ₹3,000 was made on 25.09.1997, with the balance demanded the next day. The complainant reported this to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which laid a trap on 26.09.1997. ...