Tag: legal judgment

Supreme Court Boosts Compensation: Sets Minimum Income for Accident Victims
11Oct By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Boosts Compensation: Sets Minimum Income for Accident Victims

In a significant ruling on motor accident claims, the Supreme Court reinforced the principles from Pranay Sethi and Somwati. The Court established that the income of a deceased, even if not fully substantiated, cannot be assessed lower than the notional income of an unskilled labourer, with due consideration for annual increments. It upheld the application of standard multipliers, future prospects, and clarified that loss of consortium is payable to spouses, children, and dependent parents. Facts Of The Case: In a tragic accident on July 25, 2010, four friends from Bijapur on a pilgrimage to Shirdi lost their lives when their car was involved in a head-on collision with a rashly and negligently driven goods lorry on NH-13. The case concerns one of the deceased, a qualified pharmacist, wh...
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No Interest on Delayed Payment Clause: Supreme Court Explains Its Limits
9Oct By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

No Interest on Delayed Payment Clause: Supreme Court Explains Its Limits

This Supreme Court judgment clarifies that a contractual clause merely barring interest on delayed or disputed payments does not, by itself, expressly or by necessary implication prohibit an arbitral tribunal from awarding pendente lite interest. The power to award such interest under Section 31(7)(a) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, is only denuded if the agreement contains a clear and comprehensive bar. Facts Of The Case: The dispute arose from an arbitral award dated 21.11.2004, which directed the appellant, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC), to pay a total sum of USD 6,56,272.34 to the respondent, M/s G & T Beckfield Drilling Services Pvt. Ltd., for outstanding invoices and other claims. The arbitral tribunal rejected ONGC's preliminary objection to the ma...
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Supreme Court’s Balancing Act in UAPA Bail Appeals :Trial Delay vs. Terror Charges
23Sep By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court’s Balancing Act in UAPA Bail Appeals :Trial Delay vs. Terror Charges

The Supreme Court, while dismissing appeals against bail grant and refusal under the UAPA, emphasized the prima facie test for bail under the stringent Act. It declined to interfere with the High Court's reasoned analysis of the chargesheet evidence, distinguishing the roles of the accused. The Court underscored the right to a speedy trial, directing the conclusion of proceedings within two years due to the accused's prolonged incarceration. Facts Of The Case: The case originated from an FIR registered in January 2020 against 17 individuals, including Saleem Khan (Accused No. 11) and Mohd. Zaid (Accused No. 20), for alleged conspiracy under the IPC and various offences under the UAPA and Arms Act. The allegations involved connections with terrorist activities and organisations. The inves...
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Supreme Court Returns Children to Adoptive Parents, Prioritizes Family Bonds Over Procedure
13Sep By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Returns Children to Adoptive Parents, Prioritizes Family Bonds Over Procedure

The Supreme Court ruled that removing children from their adoptive parents violated the principle of the child's best interest, a cornerstone of juvenile justice law. Invoking Article 142 to ensure complete justice, the Court ordered the children's immediate return, prioritizing family bonds and rehabilitation over procedural non-compliance in adoption. Facts Of The Case: In a series of connected cases, multiple sets of appellants from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana claimed to be the adoptive parents of minor girls. They had adopted the children, ranging from two days to twenty days old, directly from the biological parents between 2021 and early 2024 under the provisions of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956. However, on May 22, 2024, police authorities forcibly took custody of...
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How Unexplained Injuries and a Family Dispute Led to an Acquittal by the Supreme Court
9Sep By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

How Unexplained Injuries and a Family Dispute Led to an Acquittal by the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court acquitted the appellant, granting the benefit of doubt. The conviction was overturned due to material inconsistencies in the prosecution's case, including an unexplained timeline of death, unrebutted defence evidence of family enmity, and a lack of medical corroboration for the alleged weapon and dying declaration. Facts Of The Case: Based on the altercation, the appellant and her husband were accused of fatally beating the deceased with sticks near a temple later that night. The prosecution's case, supported by eyewitnesses including the deceased's father (PW-7), was that the attack was retaliation for the afternoon dispute. The victim was allegedly carried home unconscious and died minutes later, with a First Information Report (FIR) lodged around 9:00 PM. How...
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Supreme Court Judgment: Banks Can Classify MSME Loans as NPA Without Prior “Stress Identification”
25Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Judgment: Banks Can Classify MSME Loans as NPA Without Prior “Stress Identification”

The Supreme Court held that the obligation to identify incipient stress under the MSME Rehabilitation Framework is not a mandatory precondition for a bank to classify an account as an NPA or issue a demand notice under the SARFAESI Act. The benefit of the Framework must be actively claimed by the MSME borrower in response to a notice under Section 13(2), supported by an affidavit, which then obligates the bank to consider the claim and pause recovery actions. Facts Of The Case: An MSME-registered enterprise, Shri Swami Samarth Construction & Finance Solution, had availed a loan from NKGSB Co-operative Bank. Upon defaulting on repayments, its account was classified as a Non-Performing Asset (NPA). The bank's authorized officer subsequently issued a demand notice under Section 13(2) of...
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Can’t Reopen Closed Cases Without New Proof: Supreme Court’s Landmark Ruling for Sportspersons
23Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Can’t Reopen Closed Cases Without New Proof: Supreme Court’s Landmark Ruling for Sportspersons

The Supreme Court quashed the FIR, ruling the allegations of forgery and cheating did not disclose the essential ingredients of Sections 420, 468, or 471 IPC. It held that continuing the prosecution, after prior exoneration by competent authorities without new evidence, constituted a clear abuse of the legal process. Facts Of The Case: In 2022, a private complaint was filed by Nagaraja M.G. alleging that badminton players Chirag Sen and Lakshya Sen, their parents, and their coach, Vimal Kumar, had conspired to falsify the players’ dates of birth to gain illegal entry into age-restricted tournaments. The complaint was based primarily on an alleged 1996 GPF nomination form. Following a magistrate's order under Section 156(3) of the CrPC, the Bengaluru Police registered an FIR for offences ...
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Supreme Court Reduces Life Term in POCSO Case, Cites Constitutional Protection Against Harsher Retroactive Penalties
23Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Reduces Life Term in POCSO Case, Cites Constitutional Protection Against Harsher Retroactive Penalties

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction under Section 6 of the POCSO Act but modified the sentence. Relying on Article 20(1) of the Constitution, it held that the enhanced punishment of imprisonment for the remainder of natural life, introduced by the 2019 amendment, could not be applied retrospectively to an offence committed prior to its enactment. Facts Of The Case: On May 20, 2019, the appellant, Saturam Mandavi, was accused of luring a five-year-old girl to his house and raping her while her parents were away attending a marriage ceremony in the village. The victim's mother, upon returning and being unable to locate her daughter, confronted the appellant at his house, after which he fled. An FIR was subsequently registered against him. The Trial Court convicted the appellant under S...
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Supreme Court Uses Special Powers to Protect Student’s Hard-Earned Postgraduate Degree
16Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Uses Special Powers to Protect Student’s Hard-Earned Postgraduate Degree

The Supreme Court ruled that the appellant’s admission and subsequent degree in M.Sc. Environmental Management should not be invalidated despite initial eligibility ambiguities. Exercising powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Court held that the university’s delayed and unclear addendums caused confusion, and denying the degree after completion would cause irreparable injustice. The withdrawal of the degree was set aside. Facts Of The Case: The case involved Sakshi Chauhan, who applied for admission to the M.Sc./MBA (Agri Business) program at Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry in 2020 based on its prospectus. She held a B.Sc. (Agriculture) degree from Eternal University, a UGC-recognized private institution. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ...
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Supreme Court Rules on Oral Family Arrangement: Legal Heirs Can’t Overturn Registered Will
16Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Rules on Oral Family Arrangement: Legal Heirs Can’t Overturn Registered Will

The Supreme Court upheld the validity of a registered Will executed by Metpalli Rajanna, recognizing its presumption of genuineness under law. The Court ruled that the burden to disprove the Will lay on the contesting party, which was not discharged. It emphasized that the oral family settlement, supported by possession and revenue records, further validated the Will's distribution of properties. The trial court's decree granting absolute rights to the plaintiff under the Will was restored, overturning the High Court's interference. The judgment reaffirmed the sanctity of registered Wills and family arrangements in property disputes. Facts Of The Case: The case involved a dispute over 4 acres and 16 guntas of land in Dasnapur village between the legal heirs of Metpalli Rajanna. Rajanna, ...
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