Auction Purchaser Has No Vested Right Without Sale Confirmation: Calcutta HC Upholds Borrower’s Redemption Right Under Pre-Amendment SARFAESI Law Mere Breach of Promise to Marry Doesn’t Amount to Rape: Delhi High Court Acquits Man in False Rape Case Father Is the Natural Guardian After Mother’s Death, Mere Technicalities Cannot Override Welfare of Child: Orissa High Court Restores Custody to Biological Father Assets of Wife and Father-in-Law Can Be Considered in Disproportionate Assets Case Against Public Servant: Kerala High Court Refuses Discharge Identification Without TIP, Electronic Records Without 65B Certificate – Conviction Set Aside: Patna High Court Nothing Inflicts A Deeper Wound On Our Constitutional Culture Than A State Official Running Berserk Regardless Of Human Rights: Jharkhand High Court Orders ₹1.5 Lakh Interim Compensation Dishonour Due to ‘Account Blocked’ Not Attributable to Drawer—No Offence Under Section 138 NI Act: Delhi High Court Quashes Criminal Proceedings Presumption Under Section 139 NI Act Cannot Be Rebutted By Mere Assertions: Delhi High Court Affirms Conviction In 32-Year-Old Cheque Bounce Case Signature Alone Doesn’t Prove Debt: Kerala High Court Upholds Acquittal in Cheque Bounce Case, Rejects Blanket Presumption Under Section 139 NI Act Justice Cannot Be Left to Guesswork: Supreme Court Mandates Structured Judgments in Criminal Trials Across India Truth Must Be Proven Beyond Doubt—Not Built On Flawed FIRs, Tainted Witnesses And Investigative Gaps: Supreme Court Acquits Man in POCSO Rape-Murder Case Once parties agree and reconciliation is impossible, a fault-based decree is unnecessary: Supreme Court Sets Aside Divorce on Desertion No Escape from Statutory Ceiling: Exclusive Expenditure by Foreign Head Offices Also Attracts Section 44C Income Tax: Supreme Court Loss Of A Child Cannot Be Calculated In Rupees, But Law Must At Least Offer Dignity In Compensation: Supreme Court Enhances Compensation Sessions Court Cannot Direct Life Imprisonment Till Natural Life Without Remission: Supreme Court Reasserts Limits on Sentencing Powers of Subordinate Courts ‘Continuously Means Without a Single Break’: Supreme Court Bars Expired-and-Renewed Licences From Police Driver Recruitment Chief Justice’s Power Under Section 51(3) Is Independent and Continuing: Supreme Court Upholds Kolhapur Bench Notification Last Seen Evidence Alone Cannot Sustain Conviction: Supreme Court Acquits Accused in Murder Case No Cultivation on Forest Land Without Central Clearance: Supreme Court Cancels Lease Over 134 Acres, Orders Reforestation Appointment from Rank List Must Respect Communal Rotation: SC Declines Claim of SC Waitlisted Candidate After Resignation of Appointee Supreme Court Dissolves 20-Year Estranged Marriage Under Article 142 Despite Wife’s Objection Murder Inside Temple Cannot Be Treated Lightly: Supreme Court Cancels Bail of Father-Son Convicts in Group Killing Case No Notice, No Blacklist: Calcutta High Court Quashes Debarment Over Breach of Natural Justice Prosecution Must Elevate Its Case From Realm Of ‘May Be True’ To Plane Of ‘Must Be True: Orissa High Court Strict Compliance Is the Rule, Not Exception: Himachal Pradesh High Court Dismisses Tenant's Plea for Late Deposit of Rent Arrears When Accused Neither Denies Signature Nor Rebuts Presumption, Conviction Must Follow Under Section 138 NI Act: Karnataka High Court A Guardian Who Violates, Forfeits Mercy: Kerala High Court Upholds Natural Life Sentence in Stepfather–POCSO Rape Case Married and Earning Sons Are Legal Representatives Entitled to Compensation: Punjab & Haryana High Court Enhances Motor Accident Award to ₹14.81 Lakh Driver Must Stop, Render Aid & Report Accident – Flight from Scene Is an Offence: Madras High Court Convicts Hit-And-Run Accused Under MV Act Delay May Shut the Door, But Justice Cannot Be Locked Out: Gauhati High Court Admits Union of India’s Arbitration Appeal Despite Time-Bar Under Section 30 PC Act | Mere Recovery of Money Is Not Enough—Demand and Acceptance Must Be Proved Beyond Reasonable Doubt: Delhi High Court Allahabad High Court Slams Bar Council of U.P. for Ex Parte 10-Year Suspension of Advocate

"CIVIL LAW" Digest

Taxation Law - Value Added Tax – Input Tax Credit – Rule 21(8) of Punjab VAT Rules introduced before statutory sanction – Held invalid – The Supreme Court upheld the Punjab and Haryana High Court's decision invalidating Rule 21(8) of the Punjab VAT Rules insofar as it sought to reduce ITC on stock-in-trade before an enabling provision in the Punjab VAT Act came into for...

Labour Law – Gratuity – Forfeiture under Section 4(6) – No Requirement of Criminal Conviction – The Supreme Court ruled that gratuity can be forfeited under Section 4(6)(b)(ii) of the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 if an employee is terminated for an act constituting an offence involving moral turpitude – A criminal conviction is not a precondition for forfeiture &ndas...

Administrative Law – Withdrawal of NOC – Validity of Government Decision – The Supreme Court upheld the withdrawal of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) granted to the appellant for establishing an Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital – Held: The NOC was issued without following the Rules of Business, which required approval from the Council of Ministers – Since the...

Labour Law - Employee’s Compensation – Interest on Delayed Payment – Mandatory Nature of 12% Interest under Section 4A(3) – The Supreme Court ruled that under Section 4A(3) of the Employee’s Compensation Act, if an employer defaults in paying compensation within one month of it becoming due, interest at 12% per annum is statutorily mandated – The Commissioner ha...

Amendment of Written Statement – Subsequent Events – Tenants sought to amend their written statements during the pendency of their rent appeals to bring on record subsequent events that allegedly negated the landlord's bona fide necessity – The applications for amendment were filed four years after the subsequent events and were dismissed by the Appellate Authority, leading t...

Execution of Decree – Bonafide Purchasers – The appellants, claiming to be bonafide purchasers of flats constructed on the disputed plot, objected to the execution of the decree, arguing they were not parties to the original suit – The court dismissed their objections, holding that the appellants acquired the property during the pendency of the suit, making the transfers subject ...

Labour Law - Industrial Disputes – Wrongful Termination – Compensation Instead of Reinstatement – Whether Justified – Held: Yes – The respondent was employed as a bus driver from 05.03.2002 but was terminated on 09.09.2012 without notice – The petitioner claimed voluntary abandonment, citing a full and final settlement of ₹30,000 – The Labour Court found...

Eviction Notice - Town Planning – Eviction Under MRTP Act – Rights of Tenants in Redevelopment – Petitioners, long-term occupants of commercial premises, challenged their eviction due to road widening – The Court reiterated that tenants do not have the right to challenge eviction notices under the MRTP Act; only the landlord (owner) can challenge such actions – Held: ...

SARFAESI Act – Maintainability of Writ Petition – Exhaustion of Alternative Remedies Required - The petitioners, challenging the DRT’s order denying stay on asset possession, argued that procedural lapses warranted court intervention. However, the court highlighted the SARFAESI Act’s self-contained remedy structure, requiring petitioners to exhaust statutory avenues before ...

Service Law – Promotion During Punishment Period – Eligibility Criteria – The respondent was awarded a penalty of stoppage of two increments for 30 months ending on 16.12.2017—The appellant bank reverted his promotion on the ground that he was ineligible on the date of initial promotion (14.08.2017)—Held: While an employee cannot be promoted during the currency of a p...