University Administration – Appointment of Vice-Chancellors – State of West Bengal’s appointment of 24 Vice-Chancellors in 2022 challenged – High Court found appointments invalid due to non-compliance with UGC regulations – Supreme Court constituted Search-cum-Selection Committees to ensure transparent and fair selection process – Directed to adhere to statutory procedures and involvement of UGC nominees [Paras 1-24].

Search Committee – Composition and Powers – Search-cum-Selection Committees chaired by Former Chief Justice of India Justice Uday Umesh Lalit – Empowered to shortlist and recommend candidates – Emphasized importance of competence, integrity, and adherence to statutory requirements – Mandated cooperation between State Government and Chancellor for smooth appointment process [Paras 12-24].

Constitutional Law – Article 142 – Invoked to constitute Search-cum-Selection Committees for all state-aided universities in West Bengal – Aimed to resolve administrative stalemate and ensure compliance with legal standards – Court sought to maintain transparency and fairness in university administration [Paras 10-11].

Decision: Appeal disposed of – Search-cum-Selection Committees constituted – State Government directed to issue advertisements for Vice-Chancellor positions – Process to be completed within specified timelines – Status report to be filed by State of West Bengal on compliance with Court's directions [Paras 14-22].

Central Excise – Determination of Valuation – Issue concerning the applicability of Section 4 or Section 4A of the Central Excise Act for the goods sold by the respondent – Tribunal’s decision set aside by the Supreme Court – Section 4A applies when there is a statutory requirement to declare retail sale price on the package – HDPE bags sold by the respondent to distributors containing poly packs were held not intended for retail sale, thus exempt from Section 4A application [Paras 1-19].

Packaging Rules – Retail vs. Wholesale Packages – Analysis of whether the respondent’s packaging constitutes group packages for retail sale or wholesale packages – HDPE bags containing 100 poly packs sold to distributors held as wholesale packages not intended for retail sale – Exemption under Rule 34(b) applied due to the nature and weight of the packages [Paras 11-17].

Details of Allegations – Show Cause Notices – Allegations that the respondent-assessee was packing 33 pouches of 6 gms each of chewing tobacco and one pouch of 15 gms of chewing tobacco in a larger poly pack – Poly packs labeled with MRP considered group packages intended for retail sale – Contention by revenue that such packaging requires duty payment under Section 4A of the Excise Act – Respondent’s defense that HDPE bags containing poly packs were not meant for retail sale, and hence Section 4A was inapplicable [Paras 1-4, 7-9].

Tribunal’s Findings – Tribunal relied on the decision in Commissioner of Central Excise, Vapi v. Kraftech Products Inc. to conclude that Section 4A was not applicable – Tribunal's conclusion supported by the Supreme Court, emphasizing that HDPE bags were wholesale packages and not intended for retail sale [Paras 4, 18-19].

Commissioner’s Order – Initial Order-in-Original passed by the Commissioner confirming demand for differential duty, interest, and penalty on the poly packs – Commissioner’s findings that poly packs were intended for retail sale based on declarations made on the packages – HDPE bags were considered wholesale packages, not subject to retail sale price declaration requirements under Rule 29 [Paras 3-4, 14-16].

Legal Provisions – Interpretation of Section 4A of the Excise Act in conjunction with the Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodity) Rules – Definition and differentiation of group packages and wholesale packages under Rules 2(g) and 2(x) – Retail sale defined under Rule 2(q) – Application of Rule 34(b) exemption for packages containing commodities sold by weight with net weight not exceeding 10 gms [Paras 9-11].

Decision – Appeals Dismissed – Tribunal’s judgment upheld – Section 4A(1) of the Excise Act not applicable to the goods subject matter of the show cause notices – HDPE bags treated as wholesale packages exempt from declaring retail price [Paras 18-19].

Service Law – Reservation for Disabled Candidates – The respondent, a 100% visually impaired candidate, appeared in the CSE-2008 but was denied an appointment – Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and the Delhi High Court directed the Union of India to fill backlog vacancies as per the PWD Act, 1995 – Supreme Court upholds CAT and High Court decisions, directs the Union of India to reconsider the backlog vacancies and accommodate the respondent and other similarly placed candidates [Paras 1-5].

Compliance with PWD Act – The Supreme Court observed that the Union of India failed to implement the provisions of the PWD Act, 1995, resulting in unfilled backlog vacancies – It was noted that IRS (IT) and IRS (C&E) services were not exempted from the reservation for the visually impaired as per Section 33 of the PWD Act – Court directed the Union of India to redo the exercise of ascertaining backlog vacancies for visually impaired candidates [Paras 6-11].

Section 36 of the PWD Act – The Court emphasized the need for interchange of vacancies among different categories of disabilities as per Section 36 of the PWD Act to ensure that eligible candidates are accommodated – This was particularly important given the gross default by the Union of India in implementing the PWD Act provisions [Paras 10-15].

Decision – Appeal disposed of with directions – Union of India to consider respondent no.1 and other eligible visually impaired candidates for appointment against backlog vacancies within three months – Appointments to be prospective, with no arrears of salary or seniority benefits – Directions issued as a one-time measure under Article 142 of the Constitution of India [Paras 15-15(e)].

Criminal Law – Murder Conviction – Appellant convicted for the murder of Arun Kumar with a knife, sustaining multiple stab wounds – Trial court’s judgment affirmed by High Court – Supreme Court examines whether non-compliance with Section 313, Cr.P.C., during the examination of the accused resulted in material prejudice. The court found that the trial court and the High Court failed to ensure proper examination under Section 313, Cr.P.C., leading to a vitiated trial [Paras 1-28].

Section 313 of Cr.P.C. – Right to Fair Trial – Emphasizes the mandatory nature of examining the accused under Section 313, Cr.P.C., to put all incriminating evidence to the accused for their explanation – The court found that crucial incriminating circumstances (appellant’s exhortation to kill the deceased and his act of holding the deceased to enable stabbing) were not put to the appellant during his examination under Section 313, Cr.P.C. – This non-compliance was held to have caused material prejudice, resulting in a miscarriage of justice. The court reiterates that the failure to comply with mandatory procedures can vitiate the trial, particularly when it causes material prejudice to the accused [Paras 10-25].

Witness Testimony – Eyewitnesses – Evidence from eyewitnesses, including the deceased’s relatives, was crucial in establishing the sequence of events leading to the murder – The testimonies included details of the appellant’s actions and exhortations, which were not properly presented to the appellant for explanation during the Section 313, Cr.P.C., examination – The Supreme Court noted that the omission to question the appellant on these crucial points deprived him of the opportunity to explain and thus caused prejudice [Paras 3, 20].

Burden of Proof – Prejudice and Miscarriage of Justice – The court discusses the burden on the accused to demonstrate material prejudice resulting from non-compliance with Section 313, Cr.P.C. – The court found that the failure to put crucial incriminating evidence to the appellant directly impacted the findings of guilt under Section 302, IPC, with the aid of Section 34, IPC – The omission resulted in an unfair trial, justifying the setting aside of the conviction [Paras 10-24].

Decision: Appeal allowed – Conviction and sentence set aside – Appellant acquitted of the offences alleged against him – Immediate release ordered if not required in connection with any other case – The court notes that this judgment does not disturb the conviction of the co-accused as their appeals are to be dealt with separately [Para 27-28].

Res Judicata – Application in Civil Suits – Appellant's suit for declaration of title over specific land parcels was initially decreed by the trial court – First Appellate Court and High Court reversed the decree, applying the principle of res judicata based on an earlier title suit – Supreme Court examined whether the previous suit directly and substantially adjudicated on the issues relevant to the current suit – Held that the earlier suit did not adjudicate on the specific rights of the appellant over the disputed land [Paras 1-22].

Conditions for Res Judicata Among Co-Defendants – Supreme Court outlined three essential conditions for applying res judicata between co-defendants: (i) conflict of interest between co-defendants; (ii) necessity to decide the conflict for granting relief to the plaintiff; (iii) final decision on the conflict – Found no such conflict adjudicated in the earlier suit [Paras 13-25].

Adjudication of Property Rights – Court affirmed the appellant's established title and possession over the disputed land based on documentary evidence and historical possession – The claim of adverse possession by the Cantonment Board over the entire land was not substantiated [Paras 26-34].

Decision – Appeal allowed – Judgment and order of High Court and First Appellate Court set aside – Trial court's decree restored, confirming the appellant’s title over the suit land – No order as to costs [Paras 35-36].

Criminal Law – Bail Conditions – The appellant, a Nigerian national, was granted bail by the High Court with conditions including obtaining a certificate of assurance from the High Commission of Nigeria and dropping a PIN on Google Maps to ensure location tracking – Supreme Court held that the condition to drop a PIN on Google Maps violated the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution and was redundant as it did not enable real-time tracking – The condition was ordered to be deleted [Paras 10.1-10.2].

Bail Conditions – Certificate of Assurance from High Commission – Supreme Court discussed the requirement for a certificate of assurance from the High Commission for foreign nationals – Held that this condition should not be imposed in every case – If the High Commission fails to issue the certificate within a reasonable time, the court has the power to dispense with the condition – The condition must be based on the facts of each case [Paras 11-12].

Right to Privacy – Article 21 of the Constitution – Emphasized that bail conditions must respect the fundamental rights of the accused, including the right to privacy – Conditions that enable constant monitoring of the accused's movements violate privacy rights and are not permissible – Courts must balance the need for conditions to ensure the accused's presence and compliance without infringing on constitutional rights [Paras 7-7.1].

Decision: Conditions imposed by the High Court for obtaining a certificate from the High Commission and dropping a PIN on Google Maps were set aside – The bail conditions were modified to ensure compliance without violating the appellant's right to privacy – Appeal allowed.

Criminal Law – Murder Conviction – Appellant convicted for murder as part of an unlawful assembly – Sessions Court and High Court upheld the conviction – Supreme Court found no reason to interfere with concurrent findings – Appellant and co-accused attacked victim with deadly weapons resulting in death – Appeal dismissed [Paras 1-27].

Witness Credibility – Discrepancies in eyewitness testimonies – Court found minor inconsistencies immaterial – PW1 and PW2 corroborated each other on key facts – Hostile witness (PW4) did not impact prosecution case significantly – Appellant failed to discredit key witnesses [Paras 10-20].

Section 300 IPC – Applicability – Nature and location of injury – Single stab wound sufficient to cause death – Factors like weapon type, attack premeditation, and absence of provocation considered – Conduct of appellant met criteria under Section 300 IPC clauses (1) and (3) [Paras 21-26].

Decision – Appeal Dismissed – Conviction and sentence affirmed – Bail order vacated – Appellant directed to surrender to serve remaining sentence [Paras 27-28].

Criminal Law – Discharge Application – Appellant sought discharge from charges of rape and criminal intimidation – Lower courts dismissed the application, framing charges based on prima facie evidence – Supreme Court re-evaluates the sufficiency of evidence, including contradictions in prosecutrix’s statements and lack of material evidence [Paras 1-19].

Consent – Misconception of Fact – Supreme Court examines the concept of consent under Section 90 IPC – Finds that prosecutrix’s consent was not vitiated by misconception or coercion – Relationship was consensual, allegations of blackmail and threats not substantiated by evidence [Paras 20-24].

Evidence – Lack of Corroboration – Court notes the absence of critical evidence such as photographs, mobile phone, and financial transactions – Finds that the prosecutrix’s claims are unsupported by tangible proof, weakening the prosecution’s case [Paras 17, 24].

Decision – Appeal allowed – Orders of the High Court and Sessions Judge set aside – Criminal proceedings quashed – Supreme Court emphasizes that continuing the trial would be an abuse of judicial process due to lack of credible evidence and consensual nature of the relationship [Paras 25-28].

Arbitration Law - Limitation for Setting Aside Award - Appellant State challenged arbitral award dated June 30, 2022 - Petition under Section 34 filed on October 31, 2022 after Pooja vacation - High Court dismissed the petition for being time-barred - Supreme Court affirmed High Court's decision - Held, limitation period expired on September 30, 2022 - No benefit under Section 4 of Limitation Act since prescribed period expired before court vacation - Petition under Section 34 not filed within extended period allowed by proviso to Section 34(3) [Paras 1-11].

Period of Limitation - Calculation under Arbitration and Conciliation Act - Limitation period for challenging arbitral award is three months - Computation of period excludes the date of receipt of award - Application filed beyond the three-month period plus maximum allowable extension of 30 days is time-barred [Paras 5-8].

Section 4 of Limitation Act - Applicability to Arbitration Cases - Explained that 'prescribed period' does not include the 30-day extension under Section 34(3) proviso - Section 4 not applicable where the original period of limitation expired before the court's closure [Paras 9-10].

Decision: Appeal dismissed - High Court's dismissal of the petition under Section 34 for being time-barred upheld - No merit in appellants' argument for extension under Limitation Act provisions [Para 11].