Tag: Landmark Judgment

Supreme Court Ruling : Doubt Over Witness Claims Leads to Acquittal in TN Murder Case
18Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Ruling : Doubt Over Witness Claims Leads to Acquittal in TN Murder Case

The Supreme Court acquitted the appellants, overturning their conviction under Sections 302 and 34 IPC, due to unreliable eyewitness testimonies. The Court emphasized the need for cautious scrutiny of related witnesses (PW-1 and PW-2) and highlighted improbabilities in their accounts, including the unrealistic timeline of events. The prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, rendering the conviction unsustainable. The judgments of the Trial Court and High Court were set aside, underscoring the principle that doubts in prosecution cases must benefit the accused. Facts Of The Case: The case involves the murder of Edison Suvisedha Muthu, a habitual drunkard with a criminal record, including detention under the Tamil Nadu Goondas Act. The prosecution alleged that on 14.04.20...
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Supreme Court Ends Bitter Divorce Battle: Key Takeaways on Custody & Settlement
16Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Ends Bitter Divorce Battle: Key Takeaways on Custody & Settlement

The Supreme Court, invoking Article 142, dissolved the marriage between Shivangi Bansal and Sahib Bansal, quashing all pending civil/criminal cases between them and their families. The wife retained custody of their daughter, while the husband secured visitation rights. Mutual undertakings barred future litigation, and an unconditional apology was mandated. Property transfer and police protection were also ordered, ensuring a conclusive settlement. Facts Of The Case: The case involves Shivangi Bansal (wife) and Sahib Bansal (husband), who married in December 2015 and had a daughter in 2016. After marital discord, they separated in October 2018, leading to multiple legal battles across courts in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The wife filed cases under Sections 498A, 406 IPC, and the Domestic V...
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Supreme Court Exposes Cover-Up, Mandates CBI Investigation for Custodial Violence
16Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Exposes Cover-Up, Mandates CBI Investigation for Custodial Violence

The Supreme Court held that the High Court erred in not mandating the registration of anCfor custodial torture, as per Lalita Kumari v. State of U.P., which mandates immediate FIR registration for cognizable offences. The Court directed a CBI investigation to ensure impartiality, citing institutional bias and conflict of interest. It quashed the counter FIR under Section 309 IPC as mala fide and awarded ₹50 lakhs compensation for the egregious violation of Article 21. The judgment reaffirmed the constitutional duty to protect citizens from state excesses and uphold human dignity. Facts Of The Case: The appellant, Khursheed Ahmad Chohan, a police constable in Jammu & Kashmir, was summoned for an inquiry related to a narcotics case on February 17, 2023. He reported to the Joint Interro...
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Landmark Judgment: Supreme Court Orders Eviction of Bidder Who Failed to Pay for 3 Decades
16Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Landmark Judgment: Supreme Court Orders Eviction of Bidder Who Failed to Pay for 3 Decades

The Supreme Court upheld the Tamil Nadu Housing Board's cancellation of allotment due to the respondent's chronic default in payment over decades. The Court emphasized that public property must be managed transparently and in the public interest, rejecting the respondent's claims. It ruled that prolonged non-payment justified eviction, denying further indulgence and ordering possession to be surrendered within four months. The judgment reinforced that contractual obligations must be honored and that courts cannot indefinitely protect defaulters at the cost of public welfare. Facts Of The Case: In 1986, the Tamil Nadu Housing Board auctioned a prime commercial plot in Chennai, with S. Ganesan emerging as the highest bidder at ₹4,78,921. Despite the Board's acceptance of his bid, Gan...
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Landmark Judgment: Supreme Court Highlights Importance of Fair Trial in Corruption Cases
14Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Landmark Judgment: Supreme Court Highlights Importance of Fair Trial in Corruption Cases

The Supreme Court acquitted the appellant, overturning the High Court's conviction under Sections 7, 12, and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 120B IPC. The Court held that the prosecution failed to prove demand and acceptance of bribe beyond reasonable doubt, citing material contradictions, lack of corroborative evidence, and procedural lapses in the trap proceedings. It emphasized the double presumption of innocence in acquittal appeals and ruled that conjectures cannot substitute legal proof. The judgment reaffirmed that mere recovery of tainted money, without conclusive proof of demand, is insufficient for conviction under anti-corruption laws. Facts Of The Case: The case involved M. Sambasiva Rao, an Assistant Administrative Officer at United India Insu...
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Supreme Court : Key NDPS Ruling Courts Can Impose Harsher Sentences Without Specific Reasons
13Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court : Key NDPS Ruling Courts Can Impose Harsher Sentences Without Specific Reasons

The Supreme Court clarified the interpretation of Section 32-B of the NDPS Act, ruling that courts are not restricted to the factors listed in clauses (a) to (f) for imposing sentences higher than the minimum. The judgment affirmed that judicial discretion allows consideration of additional relevant factors, such as the quantity of contraband, to justify enhanced punishment. It overturned the High Court’s erroneous view that special reasons under Section 32-B were mandatory for exceeding the minimum sentence. The decision reinforces that sentencing flexibility under the NDPS Act remains broad, subject only to reasonableness and relevance of the factors considered. Facts Of The Case: In September 2018, the police in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, received information that Narayan Das and anothe...
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Landmark Ruling: Supreme Court Ends Gender Bias Tribal Women Now Have Equal Rights to Ancestral Property!
13Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Landmark Ruling: Supreme Court Ends Gender Bias Tribal Women Now Have Equal Rights to Ancestral Property!

The Supreme Court ruled that in the absence of any established custom or law governing inheritance for Scheduled Tribes, the principles of justice, equity, and good conscience under Section 6 of the Central Provinces Laws Act, 1875 must apply. The Court held that denying tribal women equal inheritance rights violates Article 14 (right to equality) of the Constitution, as discrimination based on gender lacks a rational nexus. The judgment overruled the lower courts’ dismissal of the claim, affirming that legal heirs of tribal women are entitled to an equal share in ancestral property unless a contrary custom is proven. Facts Of The Case: The case involved a dispute over the inheritance rights of a tribal woman, Dhaiya, belonging to the Gond Scheduled Tribe in Chhattisgarh. The appellants,...
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DNA Evidence & Last Seen Theory : Supreme Court Commutes Death Penalty to Life in Child Rape-Murder Case
12Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

DNA Evidence & Last Seen Theory : Supreme Court Commutes Death Penalty to Life in Child Rape-Murder Case

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the accused under Sections 376, 377, 302 IPC and Section 5/6 POCSO Act for the sexual assault and murder of a minor. However, it commuted the death penalty to life imprisonment, ruling that the case did not meet the "rarest of rare" standard due to insufficient consideration of mitigating circumstances and rehabilitation potential. The Court emphasized the necessity of balancing aggravating and mitigating factors before imposing capital punishment, following precedents like Mohd. Farooq Abdul Gafur and Gudda v. State of M.P., while affirming the reliability of DNA evidence and the last-seen theory in securing conviction. Facts Of The Case: The case involved the brutal sexual assault and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. On 2...
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Supreme Court Landmark Ruling: Awards Pension to Temporary Railway Employee’s Family
12Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Landmark Ruling: Awards Pension to Temporary Railway Employee’s Family

The Supreme Court ruled that temporary railway employees completing over one year of continuous service are entitled to family pension under Rule 75 of the Railway Pension Rules, 1993, regardless of regularization. The Court emphasized that legislative intent protects dependents of deceased employees, rejecting the 10-year threshold argument and directing arrears payment with ₹5 lakh ex-gratia relief under Article 142. Facts Of The Case: The case involves Mala Devi, widow of Om Prakash Maharaj, a temporary railway employee who died in service after 9 years and 8 months of continuous work. Appointed as a "Summer Waterman" in 1986, he later cleared screening tests and was deputed as a Guard/Shuntman before his fatal accident in 1996. While Mala Devi received ex-gratia payment and compassio...
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Supreme Court How Contradictory Witness Testimonies Saved a Man from the Death Penalty
12Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court How Contradictory Witness Testimonies Saved a Man from the Death Penalty

The Supreme Court acquitted the appellant, overturning his death sentence, due to glaring inconsistencies in eyewitness testimonies (PW1, PW2) and lack of corroborative evidence. The prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, as recoveries were unreliable, forensic links were absent, and material contradictions undermined the case. The Court emphasized strict adherence to evidentiary standards in capital offenses. Facts Of The Case: The case involves the brutal murder of four family members—Seema Rani (the appellant’s wife), Reena Rani (sister-in-law), and two minor children, Sumani Kumari (3-4 years) and Harsh (1.5-2 years)—along with injuries to two others, Harry (5 years) and Om Prakash (18 years). The incident occurred on November 29, 2013, in the early morning at the...
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