Background – The appeal challenges the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision dated 23^rd August 2022, which granted custody of a minor child to the respondent-father from the appellant-grandmother under a writ of habeas corpus filed under Article 226/227 of the Constitution – Mother of the child, Sangeeta, deceased under suspicious circumstances; subsequent litigation concerning child’s custody ensued – Minor initially under grandmother’s care after father voluntarily relinquished custody due to personal distress [Paras 1-3.5].

High Court Decision – Held in favor of the respondent-father, finding welfare of the child paramount and best served by being with the father – Granted visiting rights to the grandparents – Held that the custody with the grandmother was not illegal [Para 3.12].

Supreme Court Analysis – Held, High Court erred in entertaining habeas corpus petition for child custody which was not illegal or without authority – Such matters require detailed inquiry into child welfare, better suited under the Guardians and Wards Act – Child’s current psychological welfare and stability with the grandmother considered paramount – Directed any future custody proceedings to be handled under the Guardians and Wards Act with provisions for expedited visitation rights [Paras 19-24].

Decision – Appeal allowed, High Court judgment quashed; case remitted for consideration under appropriate legal framework with emphasis on child’s welfare and psychological impact of custody change [Para 25].

Criminal Law – Conviction under Section 302 read with Section 149 IPC – Challenged for lack of evidence of unlawful assembly – Evidence provided by prosecution witnesses considered unreliable and contradictory – Accused allegedly last seen with the deceased but no sufficient proof of involvement in the murder – High Court upheld the conviction without validly constituting unlawful assembly as required under Section 141 IPC, thereby failing the applicability of Section 149 IPC – Supreme Court sets aside conviction based on errors in applying the law and handling the evidence. [Paras 1-18]

Evidence Examination – Critique on Trial Court’s recording of contradictions and omissions in witness testimonies – Detailed discussion on the procedural requirements under Sections 145 and 162 of the Indian Evidence Act for dealing with contradictions in witnesses’ statements – Supreme Court finds significant procedural errors affecting the credibility of witness testimonies, influencing the final judgment. [Paras 5-17]

Decision – Acquittal of appellants due to prosecutorial failure to prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt, erroneous application of Section 149 IPC without proper establishment of unlawful assembly, and reliance on discredited witness testimonies – Supreme Court allows the appeal and orders the release of the appellants. [Paras 18-19]

Criminal Law – Bank Fraud and Cheating – Special Leave Petitions challenging High Court’s decision upholding Trial Court’s conviction of petitioners for conspiracy (Section 120-B IPC) and cheating (Section 420 IPC) related to unauthorized banking transactions involving unauthorised temporary Demand Overdrafts facilitated by bank officers – Conviction affirmed as fraudulent intent and modus operandi established, involving unauthorised entries benefiting petitioners, who gained interest-free advances [Paras 1-12].

Banking Offence Analysis – Alleged transactions took place in 2002, with fraudulent entries credited to petitioners’ accounts without corresponding negotiable instruments – Petitioners repaid amounts after discrepancies were discovered during 2004 bank inspection – Supreme Court finds substantial evidence of fraudulent transactions and rejects the defence that transactions were regular banking practices [Paras 4-10].

Role of Accused – Analysis of petitioners’ involvement in fraudulent bank entries – High Court’s verdict confirmed – Petitioners found to have directly benefitted from fraudulent activities facilitated by bank officials, with immediate repayment post-inspection indicating acknowledgment of irregularities [Paras 6, 10].

Decision – Dismissal of Special Leave Petitions – Supreme Court finds no merit in petitions, confirming High Court’s decision, and directs petitioners to surrender within two weeks [Para 12].’

Civil Law – Specific Performance – Appeal from High Court judgment reversing concurrent findings of lower courts dismissing specific performance suit, but granting refund of earnest money with interest – Supreme Court reinstates trial court and first appellate court’s decree for specific performance, setting aside High Court judgment – Held, transactions post-temporary injunction are subject to doctrine of lis pendens, making subsequent purchasers bound by results of pending litigation, regardless of their knowledge of such litigation – Temporary injunction effective from date of filing suit (21.07.2003) against transfer or alienation of property in question [Paras 19-25].

Bonafide Purchasers – Section 41 Transfer of Property Act – High Court found respondents 1-2 to be bonafide purchasers deserving protection under the Act – Supreme Court holds transactions executed in violation of lis pendens do not confer bona fide status, overriding the necessity of good faith and due diligence standard required under Section 41 [Paras 20-22].

Doctrine of Lis Pendens – Applicability confirmed under Section 52 of the Transfer of Property Act – Ensures that no party to litigation can alienate contested property so as to affect potential judicial outcome – Protects integrity of judicial process and prevents multiplicity of legal proceedings – Transactions during pendency of litigation impacting rights in immovable property are generally voidable and subject to final decree [Para 16, 18].

Evidence and Procedure – Adverse inference drawn against respondents 3 and 4 for failing to testify – Findings of trial court about respondents 1-2’s knowledge of injunction disregarded by High Court without substantial reasoning – Supreme Court disregards High Court’s reliance solely on witness PW-7’s deposition, emphasizing broader legal principles over specific testimonies [Para 22-24].

Decision: The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, setting aside the judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and upheld the decree of specific performance issued by the trial court – Respondent no. 3 is directed to complete the sale agreement in favor of the appellant [Para 25].

Procedural History – Initial decree in favor of appellants required deposit of ₹ 9,214 minus 1/5^th already deposited; appellants deposited ₹ 7,600 due to a clerical error, resulting in a shortfall of ₹ 14 – High Court’s earlier revision allowing deposit rectification was reviewed and recalled, leading to dismissal of the case – Current appeal challenges this dismissal [Paras 3, 4, 14].

Calculation Error – Court’s role in facilitating justice by correcting trivial errors; reliance on precedents like Johri Singh v. Sukh Pal Singh and Others, and Jang Singh v. Brij Lal and Others, highlighting courts’ ability to remedy minor mistakes to prevent miscarriage of justice – Errors in calculation by courts and parties should be correctable under judicial discretion [Paras 16, 20-21].

Judgment – Supreme Court allows the appeal, sets aside previous High Court and lower court orders – Appellants allowed to deposit the deficit ₹ 14 and pay costs of ₹ 1,00,000 to respondents for extended litigation [Paras 18-19].

Dowry Harassment and Cruelty – Accusations of dowry demands, physical and emotional abuse by the appellant and his family – FIR lodged by the wife (Respondent No. 2) listing extensive mistreatment, including physical harm and emotional torture related to dowry demands – Chargesheet filed against appellant after police investigation, while other family members were absolved in the closure report [Factual Matrix, Para 3-9]

High Court’s Decision – Declined to quash proceedings, asserting necessity of trial to determine veracity of allegations – Relied on standard principles governing Section 482 Cr.P.C., emphasizing that allegations in FIR, if true, constituted cognizable offenses justifying continuation of criminal proceedings [Para 10]

Supreme Court’s Analysis – Observed allegations in FIR as vague, general, and not specifying instances of alleged criminal conduct – Considered delay in filing FIR indicative of potential malice and intent to harass appellant post initiation of matrimonial disputes – Determined that continuation of proceedings amounted to abuse of judicial process and did not serve ends of justice – Emphasized need for judicial scrutiny to prevent misuse of criminal complaints in matrimonial disputes [Para 15-29]

Decision – Quashing of criminal proceedings against appellant – Supreme Court exercised powers under Section 482 Cr.P.C. to quash FIR and subsequent chargesheet, deeming them to be an abuse of the process of law and unjust continuation of litigation [Para 42]

Arbitration – Dispute over Final Settlement – Appeals against orders of High Court appointing arbitrator – Appellant insurance company argued the claim was fully settled – Respondent claimed settlement was under coercion and sought further arbitration – Supreme Court examined whether execution of discharge voucher precludes arbitration [Paras 1-84].

Full and Final Settlement – Arbitration Agreement – Whether arbitration agreement survives discharge of substantive contract by “accord and satisfaction” – Court held arbitration clause survives unless parties expressly agree otherwise – Disputes about settlement validity arbitrable if raised bona fide – Section 16(1) of the Act, 1996 embodies presumption of separability, ensuring arbitration agreement remains even after contract discharge [Paras 35-59].

Referral to Arbitration – Scope of Judicial Scrutiny – Section 11(6) Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 – Court confined to examining existence of arbitration agreement, not merits of settlement dispute – Referrals valid if prima facie arbitrable issues exist – Examination of “accord and satisfaction” limited to verifying bona fide nature of disputes [Paras 60-76].

Existence of Dispute – Prima Facie Standard – Court found that the disputes regarding full and final settlement, including issues of coercion or undue influence, were genuine and required arbitration – Distinguished from previous rulings where settlements were found to be conclusive [Paras 40-59].

Application of Doctrine of Separability – Arbitration agreement treated as independent from main contract – Ensures disputes related to discharge of contract by full and final settlement can be arbitrated – Cited precedents including National Insurance Co. Ltd. V. Boghara Polyfab and R.L. Kalathia and Company v. State of Gujarat affirming that disputes about settlement validity fall under arbitration agreements [Paras 48-55].

Review of High Court Orders – Appellant challenged High Court’s interpretation and application of arbitration clause – Supreme Court upheld High Court’s approach, confirming proper exercise of discretion in referring the matter to arbitration based on prima facie evidence of arbitrable disputes [Paras 73-84].

Decision – Appeals dismissed – High Court’s order to appoint arbitrator upheld – Matter referred to arbitration for resolving disputes about settlement and any further claims – Court emphasized that all doubts regarding arbitration agreement’s existence should favor arbitration to respect parties’ original intent [Para 84].

Criminal Law – Murder Conviction – Appellant convicted for the murder of his wife with a knife, sustaining multiple stab wounds – Trial court’s judgment affirmed by High Court – Supreme Court rejects appeal, highlighting issues of witness reliability, particularly the testimony of the appellant’s minor daughter, who was declared hostile – The court emphasizes the application of Section 106 of the Evidence Act, stressing the burden on the appellant to explain circumstances peculiarly within his knowledge [Paras 1-88].

Witness Testimony – Reliability and Hostility – Sole eyewitness, the appellant’s daughter, initially supports prosecution but later declared hostile during trial – Supreme Court criticizes the prosecution’s handling of hostile witnesses, indicating procedural deficiencies in dealing with key testimonies – Underlines the importance of meticulous cross-examination to uncover the truth [Paras 62-70].

Discovery of Weapon – Application of Sections 27 and 8 of the Evidence Act – Court notes weapon discovery led by appellant, considered under Section 8 for conduct, despite hostile panch witnesses – Reinforces that conduct alone cannot convict but is a significant corroborative factor [Paras 57-61].

Section 106 of the Evidence Act – Burden of Proof – Discusses when Section 106 applies, requiring the accused to explain facts specifically within his knowledge – Court finds Section 106 properly invoked given the circumstances of the case where facts surrounding the murder were within the appellant’s knowledge [Paras 34-48].

Exception 4 to Section 300 IPC – Not applicable – Court finds no evidence of sudden fight or absence of cruelty; appellant used a deadly weapon, inflicting fatal injuries disproportionately – Emphasizes that all elements of the exception must be satisfied, which were not in this case [Paras 75-82].

Decision: Appeal dismissed – Conviction and sentence affirmed – Court grants liberty to appellant to seek state government remission of sentence considering mitigating factors and time already served.

SCBA Governance Reforms – SCBA Special General Body Meeting resolutions for amending tenure and eligibility rules for office bearers, and fees structures fail to pass due to lack of required majority – Proposed reforms include changing eligibility for contesting in SCBA elections, adjusting membership fees, increasing the number of members required to convene a general meeting, and revising deposit fees for candidature – Court observes need for SCBA as a key judicial institution to adapt and reform periodically but emphasizes that such changes should be inclusive of member suggestions [Para 1-2].

Judicial Review and Directions – Despite the failure of proposed resolutions, the court underscores the importance of timely reforms in SCBA and orders further engagement with Bar members on suggestions for reforms – Court directs SCBA Executive Committee to invite and compile suggestions by 19^th July 2024 for discussion – Minimum reservation for women in the SCBA Executive Committee mandated, ensuring female representation [Para 3-8].

Election Procedure – Directions for SCBA elections issued, setting elections for 16^th May 2024 based on updated voter lists including members eligible between 01.03.2023 and 29.02.2024 – Election Committee established, comprising senior advocates, with authority over election processes and eligibility determinations [Para 9-12].