Rowdy History Sheet – Personal Liberty – Deletion Ordered – The petitioner sought removal of his name from the rowdy history sheet, arguing harassment and absence of convictions in 20 out of 21 cases – Held: Retaining the petitioner’s name without any conviction amounts to infringement of liberty; inclusion prejudices reputation and liberty, contrary to Article 21 of the Constitution – Directed deletion of petitioner’s name from the rowdy history sheet [Paras 20-24, 28-31].

KAAPA and Kerala Police Manual – Maintenance of Rowdy Sheets – Procedural Compliance – The Court emphasized procedural safeguards under Clause 259(8) of the Kerala Police Manual, allowing closure of rowdy sheets upon proper recommendations – Directed respondents to comply with procedural mechanisms in similar cases [Paras 22, 30-33].

Judicial Review – Police Actions – Vengeance Alleged – Observations noted systemic issues of arbitrary inclusion in rowdy sheets, indicating possible vendetta by the police – Directed authorities to ensure lawful application of provisions, avoiding misuse against citizens [Paras 25-27].

Decision: The writ petition was allowed, directing the respondents to delete the petitioner’s name from the rowdy history sheet within four weeks. Claims for compensation and departmental action against police officers were rejected.
 

Maintainability of Review – High Court’s Power under Article 215 – Review Allowed - Petitioners sought review of an order dismissing their arbitration application under Section 11 of the Arbitration Act, arguing an error on the record in identifying R-Cube Energy’s legal structure – Respondents argued that the Arbitration Act lacks a review provision, precluding the High Court from considering such a petition – The Court held that since Section 11 powers are exercised by the High Court as a court of record post-amendment, inherent powers under Article 215 allow correction of record errors – Held: Review maintainable under Article 215 as the High Court is a court of record [Paras 13-17].

Error Apparent on Record – Legal Entity Misclassification – Grounds for Review - Petitioners contended that R-Cube Energy was inaccurately classified as a partnership instead of a private limited company, invalidating the trial court’s decision on partnership rules and arbitration eligibility – The Court noted that the initial dismissal was based on partnership requirements and found that R-Cube Energy’s registration as a private limited company altered the legal interpretation entirely – Held: Error apparent, warranting review and recall of previous order [Paras 18-21].

Revival of Arbitration Application – Procedural Limitations - Though petitioners urged the Court to proceed with the arbitration application, the Court held it would exceed its jurisdiction due to assignment limitations – Held: Arbitration application revived and remanded to appropriate Bench for reassessment [Para 22].

Decision: The petition is allowed, recalling the previous order dated 19/12/2023. The arbitration application is revived and will be placed before the appropriate Bench for disposal per assignment.

Criminal Law - Prevention of Corruption Act – Section 17A – Validity of Approval – Writ Dismissed – The petitioners challenged the government’s approval for inquiry under Section 17A of the P.C. Act, contending lack of incriminating evidence, malafides, and violation of procedural safeguards – Held: The approval complied with statutory requirements, was based on preliminary material, and was not vitiated by non-application of mind – Judicial review limited to ensuring legality of approval, not probing merits of allegations – Writ petitions dismissed [Paras 11-21, 25-31].

Criminal Procedure – FIR and Investigation – Role of Section 17A – Compliance Affirmed – Petitioners argued that approval under Section 17A cannot substitute procedural requirements for registering FIRs and conducting investigation – Held: Section 17A protects bona fide decisions by public servants but does not bar investigation where cognizable offences are disclosed – Material supported initiation of proceedings against petitioners as public servants during tenure at Corporation [Paras 14-20, 33].

Judicial Review – Scope and Limits – No Interference – Petitioners alleged selective targeting by authorities – Held: Allegations of selective action do not invalidate the legality of approvals; approval orders were detailed and reflected application of mind – Court refrained from substituting its judgment for that of the executive [Paras 28-32].

Decision: The writ petitions were dismissed. The court upheld the approvals granted under Section 17A of the P.C. Act for initiating inquiry and investigation into allegations of corruption and mismanagement during the petitioners’ tenure at the Karnataka Bhovi Development Corporation.
 

Hindu Succession Law – Rights of Daughters Prior to 1956 – Inheritance Excluded – The court held that under the Hindu Women’s Rights to Property Act, 1937, inheritance rights to daughters were excluded if the father died before 1956 leaving behind a widow – The 1937 Act granted limited ownership only to the widow; daughters were not included in inheritance under this framework [Paras 9, 20, 33].

Hindu Succession Act, 1956 – Retrospective Application – Rejected – The appellants contended for retrospective application of the 1956 Act to cases where inheritance opened before 1956 – Held: Provisions of the 1956 Act, including the 2005 Amendment, apply prospectively; pre-1956 cases are governed by existing laws of that time [Paras 10, 29, 30].

Jurisprudence – Reconsideration of Precedents – Limited Rights Confirmed – The court clarified conflicts in earlier decisions regarding the inheritance rights of daughters prior to 1956 and concluded that inheritance rights to daughters emerged only after the 1956 Act, further strengthened by the 2005 Amendment [Paras 10, 31].

Historical Context – Widow as Sole Heir Pre-1956 – Under Mitakshara law and the 1937 Act, widows were equated to sons for inheritance purposes; daughters were recognized only upon the widow's absence – The legal framework emphasized patriarchal structures limiting inheritance rights for daughters in cases preceding the 1956 Act [Paras 9, 20, 30].

Decision: The appeals were decided in favor of the respondents, holding that a daughter does not acquire inheritance rights in the property of her deceased father who died prior to 1956 if a widow survives.

Employment Law – Submission of Qualification Proof – Subsequent Submission Permissible – Petitioner’s candidature for Anganwadi Assistant was rejected due to the absence of her Class Vth mark sheet with the initial application – Court held that the mark sheet submitted during objections to the provisional merit list should have been considered as per precedents – Authorities’ refusal to do so violated principles of fairness in administrative decisions [Paras 10-16].
Merit Calculation – Improper Deduction of Marks – Recalculation Ordered – Authorities awarded the petitioner only 30 marks for her Class Vth qualification presuming minimum passing marks – Court found she had scored 66% and was entitled to 43 marks as per the ICDS guidelines – Recalculation placed the petitioner at the top of the merit list [Paras 16-19].
Judicial Precedents – Reliance on Established Principles – Petition Allowed – Following Dolly Chhanda v. Chairman, JEE, (2005) 9 SCC 779, and Smt. Mamta Shrivastava v. Women & Child Development Department, W.A. No. 387 of 2020, Court affirmed that subsequent submission of qualification proof is permissible if it precedes the finalization of the merit list [Paras 14-16].
Administrative Guidelines – Non-Binding Nature – Circular Rejected – Respondents relied on a non-binding administrative guideline that prohibited considering documents submitted after initial application – Court found this guideline inconsistent with legal principles and overruled its application [Paras 16-19].
Decision – Appointment Ordered – Relief Granted – Court quashed the rejection orders and directed the appointment of the petitioner as Anganwadi Assistant within two months – Respondent No. 4’s appointment was set aside [Para 20].
 

Contractual Service – Annual Increment Entitlement – Appeal Allowed – The appellant and connected petitioners challenged the denial of annual increments for their contractual service despite its recognition for pension purposes under prior judicial decisions – Held: Contractual service shall also be counted for granting annual increments, in alignment with the principles in Ram Chand v. State of H.P. and similar precedents – Trial Court's judgment partially reversed, granting relief to appellants with retrospective notional benefits [Paras 17-18].

Pension and Incrementary Rights – Uniform Application – The judgment establishes uniformity in treating contractual service for both pension and incrementary rights, citing the decisions in Sheela Devi v. State of H.P., Jagdish Chand v. State of H.P., and affirming the scope for extending such service for broader benefits [Paras 9-11, 18].

Precedential Reliance – Role of Apex Court's Disposition – Clarified that the Supreme Court's disposition of related cases did not overturn increment entitlements established in prior High Court rulings – Consistent application affirmed [Paras 15-16].

Decision: The appeal (LPA No. 338 of 2024) and all connected writ petitions were allowed. Petitioners were granted benefits for annual increments during contractual service along with pensionary entitlements. Retrospective benefits were limited to three years prior to filing the petitions, with notional benefits beyond that.

Execution of Will – Proof and Attestation – Section 63(c) of the Indian Succession Act – Will Upheld – The appellant challenged the Will (Ext.B2), alleging irregularities and suspicious circumstances – Held: The Will’s execution and attestation were duly proved by the attestor, satisfying legal requirements – The registration of the Will lends credence, though not conclusive proof – No material discrediting the attestor’s testimony was presented [Paras 9-14].

Suspicious Circumstances – Burden of Proof – Genuineness Established – The appellant argued that the Will excluded certain heirs without justifiable reasons and was fabricated – Held: Evidence confirmed the testator’s sound mind and deliberate exclusion of certain branches due to proximity and care received from other heirs – Appellant failed to substantiate claims of fabrication or undue influence [Paras 12-15].

Handwriting Expert and Fingerprint Analysis – Limited Weight – The appellant relied on expert opinions to dispute the testator’s signature – Held: Variations in signature over decades are natural and not conclusive; contemporaneous evidence was lacking – Fingerprint analysis affirmed the authenticity of the Will, bolstering its validity [Paras 16-17].

Exclusion of Heirs – Testamentary Intent – Not Suspicious – The exclusion of the appellant and her branch was contested as unjustifiable – Held: A Will’s purpose is to alter natural succession; exclusion of certain heirs, when supported by credible reasons, does not make the Will suspicious [Paras 18-19].

Decision: The appeal was dismissed. The trial court’s decision upholding the validity of the Will (Ext.B2) and dismissing the partition suit was affirmed.

Bail Application – Cross-Versions of Events – Political Sensitivity – Bail Granted – Applicants sought bail in a case alleging their involvement in a mob violence incident that resulted in deaths on both sides – Held: Evidence showed cross-versions with multiple deaths and injuries; the applicants were not named in the original FIR and their roles emerged later – Supreme Court precedent and progress of trial weighed in favor of bail [Paras 45-50].

Speedy Trial – Prolonged Incarceration – Bail Justified – The trial involved over 114 witnesses, with only 7 examined – Held: Prolonged trial duration violates the applicants’ fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution – Bail cannot be withheld merely due to the case's gravity [Paras 56-60].

Criminal History – Principle of Parity – Applicants Not Named in FIR – The primary accused had been granted bail by the Supreme Court – Held: The applicants' cases stood on better footing due to their absence from the original FIR – Observed: Bail cannot be denied solely on the existence of criminal antecedents when adequately explained [Paras 61-64].

Conditions for Bail – Non-Misuse of Liberty – Observations Regarding Trial – Bail Granted – Held: Conditions imposed to prevent misuse of bail – Applicants must ensure attendance at critical trial stages – Observations made during the bail order shall not prejudice the trial court's findings [Paras 65-70].

Decision: The court allowed bail applications for the applicants subject to strict conditions, including personal bond, sureties, and mandatory trial appearances. Observations made in the bail order are non-binding on the trial court.
 

Medical Education – Eligibility for MBBS – Disability and Reasonable Accommodation - The appellant, with a disability of congenital amputation of multiple fingers, contested the denial of admission to the MBBS course despite his eligibility under general merit – The National Medical Commission (NMC) and two Medical Boards assessed the appellant, concluding ineligibility due to bilateral upper limb disability affecting essential skills – The appellant argued that the assessment did not fully consider reasonable accommodations or assistive devices as mandated under RPwD Act and challenged CBME guidelines as restrictive and discriminatory – Held: Disability does not justify compromising patient safety in critical medical education skills; regulatory compliance must balance patient welfare with disability rights [Paras 1-6, 26-32].

Judicial Review – Expert Opinion in Medical Eligibility – Limited Scope for Substitution - The appellant sought a court-ordered admission or re-assessment by a specialized board inclusive of disabled health professionals – The Court held that substituting its opinion over a medically expert board's findings is beyond judicial scope unless evident procedural errors are found – Held: Appeal dismissed; judicial intervention restricted to review of expert opinions, not replacement of expertise [Paras 33-35].

Future Scope for Disabled Candidates in Medical Education - The appellant’s plea to permit entry solely for medical teaching was denied due to regulatory restrictions requiring full MBBS competencies – The Court directed the NMC to explore feasible paths within medical education for individuals with disabilities to pursue certain specializations – Directive: NMC to report on curriculum adjustments within six months to support reasonable inclusion [Paras 39-41].

Decision:

The appeal is dismissed, with directions for the National Medical Commission to consider avenues for accessible medical specializations within the MBBS curriculum for persons with disabilities.