Criminal Appeal – Accused charged under Section 306 of IPC for alleged abetment to suicide – Allegations of instigation, assault, and threats made by the appellants against the deceased – Suicide note and complaint by the third respondent – Analysis of Section 107 of IPC regarding abetment – Lack of mens rea and proximity to suicide – Offence under Section 306 IPC not made out – Prosecution found to be an abuse of process of law – Quashing of summoning order in Criminal Case No. 454 of 2019 passed by the learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ist, Dehradun, District Dehradun – Appeal allowed. [Para 7-13]

Challenge to Legal Validity – Appellants questioned the validity of the High Court's order rejecting their criminal appeal and affirming the Special Judge's order to frame charges under IPC and SC/ST Act. [Para 2]

Admitted Evidence Review – Supreme Court focused on whether the admitted evidence met the necessary ingredients for the charge under Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act. [Para 4-6, 12, 16-17]

Political Rivalry Context – Acknowledged that the incident's backdrop involved political rivalry. The prosecution's case on gun shot allegations was deemed inconsistent with medical findings. [Para 15]

Insufficient Ground for SC/ST Act Charge – Found no adequate basis from the prosecution's case to frame charge under Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act against the appellants. [Para 17]

Partial Quashing of Charges – Impugned orders quashed to the extent of charges framed under the SC/ST Act. Remaining charges under IPC to continue in the Sessions Court. [Para 18]

Transfer of Trial – With the quashing of SC/ST Act charge, the trial of the case was transferred from the Special Court to the Sessions Court. [Para 18]

Decision: Appeal partially allowed – Charges under Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act quashed. Trial for other charges under IPC to continue in the appropriate Sessions Court.  [Paras 18-20]

Conviction for Murder with Common Intention – Appellant Ram Naresh convicted along with others for murder of Ram Kishore under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC – Appeal challenging the application of Section 34 regarding common intention. [Paras 3-4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 15-16]

Evidence and Eyewitness Testimonies – FIR and testimony of Balram (PW-1) critical – Witnessed assault by appellant and others with weapons leading to Ram Kishore's death – Consistency in testimony despite cross-examination. [Paras 5, 9]

Trial Court and High Court Findings – Both courts affirmed that appellant and co-accused acted with a common intention to kill Ram Kishore – Evidence showed collective, simultaneous attack with weapons at the crime scene. [Paras 10, 11, 14]

Application of Section 34 IPC – Not necessary for premeditated conspiracy – Common intention can form during the incident – Shared intention inferred from collective action and circumstances. [Paras 8, 12-13, 14]

Supreme Court Decision – Appeal dismissed – Conviction under Section 34 IPC upheld based on evidence and findings of lower courts – Appellant’s active participation in the crime established. [Para 16]

Vacancy Position in District Judiciary – Examination of vacancy positions and recruitment processes in the States of Jharkhand, Karnataka, and Kerala – Detailed analysis of vacancies, recruitment procedures, infrastructure, and manpower – Directions issued to expedite recruitment and infrastructure development. [Para 1-14]

Infrastructure – Construction and Development of Court Rooms – Status of ongoing projects and pending proposals – Directions for expeditious completion and approvals – Monitoring of progress. [Para 6-9]

Manpower – Vacancies in Judicial Staff – Examination of vacant positions and proposals for creation of posts – Directions for filling vacancies and finalizing pending proposals – Monitoring of recruitment process. [Para 12-14]

Interlocutory Applications – Withdrawal of Interlocutory Applications – Permission granted for withdrawal. [Para 15-18]

Property Dispute - Challenge to Sale Deed - Suit filed by the appellant's predecessor-in-interest against the first sale deed registered in favor of another party - Allegations of minor's property being sold without court permission and for the minor's need and welfare - Trial Court decreed the suit, which was upheld by the first Appellate Court, but reversed by the High Court in Second Appeal. [Para 1-4]

Date of Birth - Discrepancy in the appellant's date of birth - High Court relied on oral evidence, while the appellant produced a certificate from Doon School showing the date of birth as 16.08.1951 - Suit's timeliness under Section 80 C.P.C. disputed - High Court's reliance on oral evidence questioned. [Para 9-10]

Ownership of Property - Lack of documentary evidence to establish the appellant's right to the property in question - Challenge to a sale deed registered in 1956 after 16 years - Absence of transfer in the appellant's name - Suggestion of a possible attempt to extract additional money from the State, which had purchased the property from the first buyer. [Para 10-11]

Property Sale Consideration - Property potentially sold for the child's education and welfare - Consideration mentioned in the second sale deed at ₹14,784/- - Burden of proof on the plaintiff challenging a sale transaction entered into 16 years prior. [Para 11-12]

Protection of Sale Transaction - Reference to Section 41 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, and the State's claim of due diligence in the sale transaction - Lack of evidence presented by the plaintiff to rebut the State's position. [Para 13]

Dismissal of Appeal - No grounds for interference in the present appeal found - Appeal dismissed. [Para 15]

Lease Agreement and Wrongful Occupation – The property, originally leased to the appellants by predecessors of ATM Constructions, was subject to legal disputes post lease expiry on 31.12.1997. ATM Constructions sought possession and later, damages for wrongful occupation from 01.01.1998 till 31.12.2019, and future damages from 01.01.2020 till possession was handed over in June 2022. [Paras 3, 5, 9]

Application under Order VII Rule 11(d) C.P.C. – The appellants sought rejection of the plaint claiming the suit for damages was not maintainable as it was filed after a suit for possession without claiming damages. The High Court dismissed this application. [Paras 2, 6, 10]

Distinct Causes of Action – The Court held that suits for possession and for damages for use and occupation are based on distinct causes of action. The second suit for damages is therefore maintainable. [Paras 16-17]

Time-Barred Claims – The appellants can contest if part of the claim in the suit is time-barred, but the entire claim cannot be deemed as such. [Para 17]

Distinguishing Previous Judgments – The Court distinguished the case from Virgo Industries (Eng.) Private Limited v. Venturetech Solutions Private Limited, noting the difference in the causes of action in both scenarios. [Para 18]

Decision – The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, affirming the High Court's decision and holding that the suit for damages for wrongful occupation is maintainable. [Para 19]

Jurisdictional Overreach of Lokayukta – Upa Lokayukta’s order for correction in revenue records and tax collection – Held as exceeding its jurisdiction under Section 12 of the 1999 Act, which only allows recommendations to remedy injustice or hardship, not issuing direct orders. [Paras 5, 7, 9-11, 13]

Revenue Record Correction – Original complaint by respondent No. 1 for correction of error in revenue records – Request declined by Additional Tehsildar, no further legal remedy pursued by respondent before approaching Lokayukta. [Paras 4, 8, 12]

Precedent on Lokayukta’s Powers – Reference to Kerala High Court judgments in Sudha Devi K. v. District Collector and District Collector v. Registrar, Kerala Lokayukta, affirming Lokayukta’s recommendatory jurisdiction, not supervisory or appellate authority over statutory bodies. [Para 9, 10]

High Court and Upa Lokayukta Orders Set Aside – Supreme Court sets aside orders of High Court and Upa Lokayukta, deems them legally unsustainable due to jurisdictional overreach. Respondent No. 1 advised to seek appropriate legal remedy for correction of revenue records under relevant statutes. [Paras 13, 14]

Civil Appeal – Promotion – Validity of M.Phil degree obtained through Distance Education – Challenge to promotion on the basis of degree validity – Single Judge of High Court directed for passing appropriate orders – Writ petition dismissed – Division Bench upheld the single judge’s decision – Appellant granted promotion with effect from 23.07.2008 – Appellant retired from service on 31.01.2018 – Question of law left open – Promotion benefits not to be disturbed. [Para 2-3]

Charge Sheet Quashing – Allegations of Marital Cruelty and Dowry Demands – Appeal by Mahalakshmi & Ors. Against the charge sheet for offenses under IPC Sections 498A, 506 and Dowry Prohibition Act Sections 3, 4 – Allegations deemed vague and general without specific evidence against appellants.

Residency and Absence of Specific Allegations – Appellant No. 1, Mahalakshmi, residing in Canada, not in India during the alleged incidents – Appellants 2, 3, and 4 residing separately from the marital home of the complainant – Absence of specific details constituting cruelty.

Precedents on Vagueness in Allegations – References to cases emphasizing the need for specific allegations and evidence in marital cruelty cases – Kahkashan Kausar, K. Subba Rao, Rajesh Sharma, Arnesh Kumar, Geeta Mehrotra, Preeti Gupta cited.

Decision – Criminal proceedings against appellants quashed due to lack of specific allegations and evidence – Clarification that trial court may take action under Section 319 Cr.P.C. if new evidence emerges.