Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Ss. 34 and 5: Principles summarised re scope of interference by Court under S. 34. Supervisory, and not appellate, nature of jurisdiction under S. 34, re-emphasised strongly, [S.V. Samudram v. State of Karnataka, (2024) 3 SCC 623]
Constitution of India — Arts. 14, 226 and 136: Law clarified on award of compensation/restitution for injurious consequences arising from arbitrary and illegal administrative action, [Manoj Kumar v. Union of India, (2024) 3 SCC 563]
Courts, Tribunals and Judiciary — Judicial Process — Judicial discipline, accountability and comity: In this case of an act of gross impropriety on part of Single Judge, impugned judgment set aside and cases remitted to High Court for decision afresh, [CBI v. Naresh Prasad Agarwal, (2024) 3 SCC 515]
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — S. 378 — Appeal against acquittal: Principles summarised re permissibility of interference with order of acquittal, [Mallappa v. State of Karnataka, (2024) 3 SCC 544]
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — S. 437 r/w Ss. 61, 190 and 204 — Bail — Entitlement to and invocation of S. 437: Law clarified on determination of entitlement to bail and invocation of S. 437, when in absence of any summoning order by the court, summons issued to the accused and he voluntarily surrendered before the court, [Souvik Bhattacharya v. Enforcement Directorate, (2024) 3 SCC 597]
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Ss. 482 and 154: Quashing of FIR, when warranted, explained. Caution to be exercised by police in cases pertaining to unethical transactions between private parties which appear to be prima facie contentious in light of previous inquiries or investigations, emphasized, [Deepak Kumar Shrivas v. State of Chhattisgarh, (2024) 3 SCC 601]
Election — Conduct of Election — Returning Officer — Misconduct/Impropriety — Chandigarh Mayor election: Proper security arrangement for safe transit of judicial officer and for proper preservation and custody of ballot papers directed to be ensured, [Kuldeep Kumar v. State (UT of Chandigarh), (2024) 3 SCC 540]
Election — Conduct of Election — Returning Officer — Misconduct/Impropriety — Chandigarh Mayor election: Entire record pertaining to election process directed to be sequestered under custody of Registrar General of High Court. Returning Officer directed to remain present on next date of listing to explain his conduct as appearing in the video, [Kuldeep Kumar v. State (UT of Chandigarh), (2024) 3 SCC 542]
Election — Democracy and General Principles — Free and Fair Elections/Impartial Conduct of Elections: Free and fair elections, reiterated, are part of the basic structure of the Constitution. Ensuring free and fair electoral process, therefore, imperative to maintain legitimacy and trust in representative democracy, [Kuldeep Kumar v. State (UT of Chandigarh), (2024) 3 SCC 526]
Evidence Act, 1872 — Ss. 101 and 104 — Burden of proof — Suit for declaration of title and injunction — Multiple pieces of evidence: If such pieces of evidence are strung together court could arrive at a conclusion, burden of proof could be said to have been discharged, [State of Goa v. Maria Julieta D’Souza, (2024) 3 SCC 523]
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 — Ss. 89 and 59 and Ss. 3(a), 3(zx), 3(zz), 34(3), 48(1), 73, 78, 77, 79 and 80 — Offences of food adulteration/sale of noxious food: Relative scope of IPC and CrPC provisions vis-à-vis FSSA provisions, extensively explained. Law clarified on overriding effect of FSSA w.e.f. 29-7-2010 over any other law, including IPC and CrPC, [Ram Nath v. State of U.P., (2024) 3 SCC 502]
Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 — S. 18: Enhancement of maintenance to wife and children pending disposal of divorce proceedings, whether warranted and factors to be considered for the same, explained, [X v. Y, (2024) 3 SCC 607]
Penal Code, 1860 — S. 306 r/w Ss. 107 and 498-A — Abetment of suicide: Mere harassment, cannot be sufficient to hold an accused guilty of abetting the commission of suicide, without all the ingredients of S. 306 being proved by the prosecution, [Naresh Kumar v. State of Haryana, (2024) 3 SCC 573]
Penal Code, 1860 — Ss. 302 and 201 r/w S. 120-B — Circumstantial evidence — Recovery evidence: Matters to be considered to determine reliability of recovery evidence and requirements of S. 27 of the Evidence Act, summarized, [Raja Naykar v. State of Chhattisgarh, (2024) 3 SCC 481]
Penal Code, 1860 — Ss. 376(2)(n) and 506 — Quashing of FIR: In this case, there was allegation as to rape on false promise to marry prosecutrix, already married and having a daughter aged 15 yrs. Due to discrepancies in stand taken by prosecutrix in FIR and statement she got recorded under S. 164 CrPC, along with absence of promise to marry initially when the relations between the parties started, as factors, prayer for quashing FIR allowed, [XXXX v. State of M.P., (2024) 3 SCC 496]
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 — S. 3(a) r/w S. 4 — Sentence: Reduction to period already undergone, when it is more than the minimum prescribed sentence at the time of conviction, [Rajasekar v. State of T.N., (2024) 3 SCC 586]
Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1913 (1 of 1913) — Ss. 3, 8, 15 and 16 r/w S. 2(3) of the 1900 Act — Suit for possession by pre-emption — Preferential right of tenant to purchase property by way of pre-emption: Right of pre-emption, held, was taken away by notification only with reference to sale of “land” and not “immovable property”. Decree of suit in favour of respondent-plaintiff, thus, held, not illegal, [Jagmohan v. Badri Nath, (2024) 3 SCC 588]
Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 — S. 13(8) r/w Rr. 8 and 9 of the 2002 Rules: For sale or transfer of secured asset, requirement of service of 30 days clear individual mandatory notice to borrower, whether stood complied with and effect of non-maintenance of proper records of service of notice, determined, [Bombay Mercantile Coop. Bank Ltd. v. U.P. Gun House, (2024) 3 SCC 517]
Service Law — Police — Performance Review/ACRs/APARs: “Reporting authority” to initiate ACRs/APARs of IPS officers working as SPs in State of Assam, clarified, [State of Assam v. Binod Kumar, (2024) 3 SCC 611]
Specific Relief Act, 1963 — S. 20 — Suit for specific performance — Entitlement to relief — Conduct of plaintiff: As plaintiffs made false statements in plaint, which were very material, they were not entitled to discretionary relief of specific performance, [Darshan Singh v. Brij Bhushan Chaudhary, (2024) 3 SCC 489]
