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The Court, however, noted that considering the seminal importance and significance of the issues raised in it, it required a little more research and appreciation of law to decide these issues, which are relevant not only for these proceedings, but also in any other criminal proceedings.
The present case is an unfortunate occasion where despite repeatedly knocking the doors of the Courts below, there had been an inordinate delay of nearly two decades in the investigation of a criminal complaint.
The Supreme Court set aside bail granted to 3 accused in a hospital murder case, holding that the High Court failed to consider their specific roles and serious criminal antecedents. The Court reiterated that custody period and delay in trial cannot alone justify bail in heinous offences involving armed mob violence.
May 2026 was a landmark month for Indian constitutional law. The Supreme Court upheld electoral integrity, extended protection to trafficking survivors, reformed bail jurisprudence, advanced gender equality in matrimonial law, and settled long-contested questions in arbitration, IBC, and property law
The Court warned that permitting reopening of quashing orders on the basis of subsequent matrimonial disputes would fundamentally defeat the object underlying exercise of jurisdiction under Section 528 BNSS.
“The requirement that the place must be one “within public view” can be said to be substantiating the other elements of the offence under the SC/ST Act. It is therefore a sine qua non for making out the offence under the SC/ST Act.”
The Court emphasised that dowry death cases carry statutory presumptions under Section 118, Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 which cannot be ignored.
In the instant case, the petitioner was in jail for almost 4 years, but not a single witness was examined.
“The most invaluable gift that the people of India gave unto themselves through the Constitution was the vision of a casteless society founded upon the principle of substantive equality.”
The High Court interpreted Note (2) to Rule 1212 and Note (1) to Rule 1224, Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, holding that “ordinarily” denotes restriction, not prohibition.
“Neither the FIR nor the impugned order discloses availability of any tangible material to substantiate the allegation that the appellant had conspired in the preparation of the alleged forged Will, or that the registered sale deed dated 18 December 1998 was executed by him with knowledge that the signatures on the Will were forged.”
The Court observed that Criminal liability is not a heritable estate. The “legal fiction” created under Section 138 is restricted to the “drawer” of the instrument.
“Supreme Court set aside the impugned order granting anticipatory bail to the accused.”
“The jurisprudential basis for the State being the prosecuting agency in criminal offences is to prevent a criminal prosecution from descending into an exercise in vengeance, where the victim goes baying-for-the-blood of the offender; and to maintain objectivity, neutrality, fairness and a sense of proportion in prosecution of an offender.”
“In India, the concept of legal aid is closely tied to the vision expressed in the Preamble of the Constitution, which promises justice be it social, economic, and/or political, along with equality of status and opportunity, and affirms the secular character of the State.”
“If both the giver and the taker are penalised, no giver of dowry can be expected to come forward to make a complaint, being under the threat of being prosecuted himself.”
“In the present case, the absence of documentary proof establishing the seizure and custody of the alleged forensic article creates a reasonable doubt as to the authorship of the sexual act.”
“The land in question, though administered by a corporate body, is essentially trust property held for the benefit of the community, and any irregularity in its alienation is a matter of legitimate public concern.”
The Court held that a de novo trial cannot be ordered merely on technical grounds, particularly when the trial had substantially progressed and no real miscarriage of justice is shown.
“The SC/ST Act serves as a crucial legal framework to protect the rights and dignity of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India, ensuring stringent measures against offences of atrocities and promoting their welfare and security.”