Criminal Law - Prevention of Corruption - Demand and Acceptance of Bribe – Criminal Appeal challenging the conviction and sentencing by the High Court of Gujarat which affirmed the trial court's judgment convicting the appellant for offenses under Section 7 and Section 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 – Whether there was sufficient legal evidence to establish the guilt of the appellant for the offenses charged – The appellant argued lack of evidence for demand and voluntary acceptance of bribe, and improper witness credibility.

Held – The evidence presented, including the testimonies of the complainant (PW1) and the shadow witness (PW3), corroborated by scientific evidence (U.V. lamp experiment), sufficiently established the demand and acceptance of the bribe by the appellant. The prosecution effectively demonstrated that the appellant had demanded and accepted the bribe for issuing certain documents. The defense failed to substantiate claims of collecting the amount towards land revenue tax – Appeal partly allowed with modification in sentence. [Paras 1-11]

Demand of Bribe - Proof – Analysis – The court emphasized that for an offense under Section 13(1)(d) of the Act, proof of demand or request for a bribe is essential. The prosecution's evidence, including the complainant’s and shadow witness’s testimonies, proved the demand and acceptance of the bribe – The presumption under Section 20 of the Act was not rebutted by the appellant. [Paras 6-9]

Modification of Sentence – Mitigating Factors – Considering the appellant's age and medical condition, the court reduced the sentence to the minimum prescribed under the law, concluding that it would meet the ends of justice. [Paras 10-11]

Decision – Conviction upheld – Sentence modified – The appellant's conviction for offenses under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act was upheld. However, the sentence was reduced to six months rigorous imprisonment for the conviction under Section 7, and one year rigorous imprisonment for the conviction under Section 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2), with the sentences to run concurrently. The fines and default sentences were retained. [Para 11]

Referred Cases:

State of Kerala and Another Vs. C.P. Rao, (2012) CriLJ 2607

Narendra Champaklal Trivedi Vs. State of Gujarat, AIR 2012 SC 2263

B. Jayaraj Vs. State of A.P., (2014) AIRSCW 2080

Banarsi Dass Vs. State of Haryana, AIR 2010 SC 1589

A. Subair Vs. State of Kerala, (2009) CriLJ 3450

 

Criminal Law – Quashing of Cognizance – Appeal against High Court order quashing the order of cognizance for offenses under IPC Sections 425, 468, and 471 – High Court relied on precedent stating that offenses involving documents produced in court must be pursued via a complaint by the court under Section 195(1)(b)(ii) CrPC – Supreme Court overruled High Court, referencing Constitution Bench decision in Iqbal Singh Marwah v. Meenakshi Marwah – Held that the bar under Section 195(1)(b)(ii) CrPC applies only to documents forged during the pendency of a case – Quashing of cognizance order set aside, case remanded for reconsideration on merits. [Paras 10-22]

Forged Documents – Applicability of Section 195(1)(b)(ii) CrPC – Held – Bar applies only to documents forged while the document is under court custody – Allegations pertain to forged document produced before institution of suit – High Court erred in applying bar under Section 195(1)(b)(ii) CrPC – Matter remanded for High Court to assess prima facie case on facts. [Paras 14-20]

Decision – Remand for Fresh Consideration – Supreme Court sets aside High Court order quashing cognizance, remands matter for fresh consideration on merits within three months – Clarifies no opinion expressed on merits of case. [Paras 21-22]

Referred Cases:

Surjit Singh and others v. Balbir Singh, AIR 1996 SC 1592

Smt. Nagawwa v. Veeranna Shivalingappa Konjalgi and Others, AIR 1976 SC 1947

Patel Laljibhai Somabhai v. The State of Gujarat, AIR 1971 SC 1935

Raghunath and Others v. State of U.P. and Others, AIR 1973 SC 1100

Mohan Lal and Others v. The State of Rajasthan and Another, AIR 1974 SC 299

Sachida Nand Singh and Another v. State of Bihar and Another, AIR 1998 SC 1121

M.S. Sheriff v. The State of Madras and Others, AIR 1954 SC 397

Dr. S.L. Goswami v. The High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Jabalpur, AIR 1979 SC 437

Legal Remembrancer of Govt. of West Bengal v. Haridas Mundra, AIR 1976 SC 2225

Iqbal Singh Marwah and Another v. Meenakshi Marwah and Another, AIR 2005 SC 2119

Gopalakrishna Menon and Another v. D. Raja Reddy and Another, AIR 1983 SC 1053

State of Haryana and others v. Ch. Bhajan Lal and others, AIR 1992 SC 604

Constitutional Law - Arbitrary Allocation of Natural Resources - Coal Blocks - Writ Petitions challenging the legality of coal block allocations by the Government of India through the Screening Committee and Government dispensation route. The Supreme Court held that these allocations were arbitrary and illegal, violating the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973, and were not in accordance with the law. The Court quashed all coal block allocations, except for those specifically exempted, and imposed consequences for the illegalities. [Paras 1-40]

Principles of Natural Justice - Hearing before Cancellation - Held - The Court observed that affected parties, including associations representing allottees and state governments, were given an opportunity to be heard before the judgment. Consequently, the principles of natural justice were adhered to, and no further individual hearings were warranted. [Paras 29-32]

Cancellation of Coal Blocks - Legal and Economic Implications - The Court quashed the illegal coal block allocations, recognizing the severe economic and social consequences but underscored the need to rectify the arbitrariness. Allocations to the Ultra Mega Power Projects and certain Central Government undertakings were exempted. The decision to cancel was deferred for six months to mitigate immediate disruption. [Paras 33-39]

Additional Levy - Compensation for Illegal Allocation - Held - The Court imposed an additional levy of Rs. 295 per metric ton of coal extracted, based on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report, as a compensatory measure for the loss to the exchequer. This levy was to be paid by the allottees within a stipulated time frame. [Paras 40-41]

Referred Cases:

Chingleput Bottlers v. Majestic Bottling Company, AIR 1984 SC 1030

Onkar Lal Bajaj v. Union of India, AIR 2003 SC 2562

Rupa Ashok Hurra v. Ashok Hurra, AIR 2002 SC 177

National Textile Workers' Union v. P.R. Ramakrishnan, AIR 1983 SC 75

Sheela Barse v. Union of India, AIR 1988 SC 2211

Constitutional Law - Right to Life and Personal Liberty - Police Encounters - Guidelines for Investigation: The Supreme Court, recognizing the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, emphasized the necessity of ensuring thorough, independent, and impartial investigations into police encounters resulting in death. The Court issued comprehensive guidelines to be followed in such cases to safeguard human rights and maintain public confidence in the rule of law.

Criminal Procedure - FIR and Investigation: The Court mandated that upon receiving intelligence or a tip-off about criminal activities leading to an encounter, such information must be recorded. An FIR must be registered if death occurs as a result of police firing, and an independent investigation by the CID or another police unit under a senior officer's supervision must be conducted. The investigation must include collecting and preserving evidence, conducting post-mortems by two doctors, and videographing the procedure.

Magisterial Inquiry and NHRC Involvement: A magisterial inquiry under Section 176 of the CrPC is compulsory in all cases of death due to police action. Information of the incident must be promptly sent to the NHRC or the State Human Rights Commission. In cases of serious doubts about impartiality, NHRC involvement is not necessary unless required.

Compensation and Disciplinary Action: The Court emphasized that compensation to the victim's dependents should follow the scheme under Section 357A of the CrPC. Disciplinary action against police officers involved in encounters resulting in death must be promptly initiated if evidence shows the use of firearms amounting to an offense under the IPC.

Promotion and Rewards: No out-of-turn promotions or instant gallantry rewards should be bestowed on officers involved in encounters until their actions are thoroughly investigated and established beyond doubt as gallant.

Application of Guidelines: The guidelines issued are to be treated as law declared under Article 141 of the Constitution and are applicable to all cases of death and grievous injury in police encounters.

Referred Cases:

Om Prakash and Others v. State of Jharkhand and Another (2012) 9 JT 642

D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal AIR 1997 SC 610

B.G. Verghese v. Union of India (2012) 2 SCALE 457

Chaitanya Kalbagh and Others v. State of U.P. AIR 1989 SC 1452

Rohtash Kumar v. State of Haryana (2013) ACJ 1033

R.S. Sodhi v. State of U.P. AIR 1994 SC 38

Satyavir Singh Rathi v. State thr. C.B.I. AIR 2011 SC 1748

Prakash Kadam v. Ramprasad Vishwanath Gupta AIR 2011 SC 1945

Land Acquisition - Reacquisition of Previously Released Land - Validity - Appeals against High Court's quashing of land acquisition involving reacquisition of previously released land for public purposes. The High Court quashed acquisition due to the arbitrary nature of the state's actions, including prior land release and subsequent reacquisition after 26 years. Supreme Court held that prior permission for land use change does not bar subsequent acquisition, provided public purpose is established. The reacquisition is justified if aligned with the broader community's interest, not just individual interests. [Paras 7-8, 13-15]

Public Purpose - Scope and Judicial Scrutiny - The concept of public purpose encompasses general community interest, evolving with societal needs. State's determination of public purpose is subject to judicial review to prevent malafide or irrational actions. High Court's narrow interpretation of public purpose limited to essential services like infrastructure was incorrect. Public purpose includes broader development projects like residential and commercial sectors. [Paras 9-12]

Quashing of Acquisition - Estoppel and Validity of Acquisition - High Court erred in invoking estoppel against the state for reacquiring land previously released. Supreme Court held there is no perpetual bar on reacquisition, and subsequent notifications are valid if genuine public need arises. High Court's reliance on prior judgments was misplaced due to differing factual contexts. [Paras 13-16]

Acquisition under New Land Act - Section 24(2) Analysis - Respondents argued acquisition lapsed under Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act due to non-payment of compensation and possession not taken. Supreme Court remitted matter to High Court to determine factual issues regarding compensation and possession, directing status quo to be maintained pending High Court's review. [Paras 18-21]

Decision - Partial Upholding and Remand - Supreme Court upheld quashing of acquisition for land in Khasra No. 148/2/2 (19 Maria) but set aside High Court's quashing of acquisition for land in Khasra No. 149 (1 Kanal 11 Maria). Matter remanded to High Court for further examination under Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act. [Paras 22]

Referred Cases:

Roshan Lal and Others v. State of Haryana and Others (2003) 135 PLR 199

Daulat Singh Surana and Others v. First Land Acquisition Collector and Others AIR 2007 SC 471

Sooraram Pratap Reddy and Others v. District Collector, Ranga Reddy Distt. and Others (2008) 9 SCC 552

Smt. Somavanti and Others v. The State of Punjab and Others AIR 1963 SC 151

Pune Municipal Corporation and Another v. Harakchand Misirimal Solanki and Others AIR 2014 SC 982

Administrative Law - Promotion - Relaxation of Eligibility Criteria – Civil Appeals against High Court's order allowing writ petitions challenging Parishad's decision to relax the minimum qualifying experience for promotion to the post of Chief Engineer – High Court held relaxation amounted to retrospective amendment of eligibility criteria and aimed at benefiting a specific individual – Supreme Court found that Parishad had power to relax the eligibility criteria under Regulation 20 of the 1990 Regulations, and such power was exercised in a justifiable manner – Held that the power of relaxation under the Regulations was always available and had been exercised correctly – High Court’s judgment set aside – Parishad and State Government directed to expedite the selection process for the post of Chief Engineer. [Paras 1-25]

Relaxation of Eligibility Criteria – Analysis – Held – Power to relax eligibility criteria is permissible under Regulation 20 to meet specific situations where strict application of rules causes undue hardship – High Court erred in holding that selection process for regular promotion had already commenced – Relaxation benefitted multiple senior candidates, not just one individual – Allegations of malafide intent unsupported by evidence. [Paras 6-23]

Decision – Setting Aside High Court Judgment – Court directed Parishad and State Government to expedite the selection process for Chief Engineer – Appeals by Rajendra Kumar Agrawal allowed – Appeal by Narsingh Prasad dismissed. [Paras 24-25]

Referred Cases:

R.S. Garg v. State of U.P., (2006) 6 SCC 430

M. Nagaraj v. Union of India, (2006) 8 SCC 212

State of Haryana v. Subash Chander Marwaha, (1973) 3 SCC 220

Y.V. Rangaiah v. J. Sreenivasa Rao, (1983) 3 SCC 284

U.P. Power Corporation Ltd. v. Rajesh Kumar, (2012) 7 SCC 1

B.L. Gupta v. M.C.D., (1998) 9 SCC 223

State of Orissa v. Mamata Mohanty, (2011) 3 SCC 436

Jasbir Singh Chhabra v. State of Punjab, (2010) 4 SCC 192

J.C. Yadav v. State of Haryana, (1990) 2 SCC 189

Ashok Kumar Uppal v. State of J&K, (1998) 4 SCC 179

Sandeep Kumar Sharma v. State of Punjab, (1997) 10 SCC 298

Md. Raisul Islam v. Gokul Mohan Hazarika, (2010) 7 SCC 560

State of Gujarat v. Arvindkumar T. Tiwari, (2012) 9 SCC 545

State of Bihar v. P.P. Sharma, IAS, (1992) Supp. 1 SCC 222

M.V. Thimmaiah v. Union Public Service Commission, (2008) 2 SCC 119

Criminal Law - Conviction for Cruelty and Dowry Harassment – Criminal Appeal against High Court order – Appellant convicted under Section 498A IPC for subjecting wife to cruelty, demanding dowry – High Court reduced sentence from one year to six months, increased fine – Supreme Court addresses concurrent findings and considers overall circumstances.

Sentence Reduction and Fine Imposition – Analysis – Held – Supreme Court modifies the sentence to period already undergone, imposes a substantial fine to be paid in instalments – Considers appellant’s responsibility towards two families. [Paras 10-12]

Decision – Modification of Sentence – The appellant’s imprisonment under Section 498A IPC reduced to period already undergone, fine of Rs. 2,00,000/- imposed to be paid in two instalments, with default resulting in further imprisonment – Fine to be paid as compensation to the complainant. [Paras 12-13]

Referred Cases:

Narsingh Prasad Singh Vs. Raj Kumar @ Pappu and Others, AIR 2001 SC 1828 : (2001) CriLJ 2039 : (2001) 2 Crimes 180 : (2001) 1 DMC 724 : (2001) 4 JT 531 : (2001) 3 SCALE 250 : (2001) 4 SCC 522 : (2001) 2 SCR 984 : (2001) AIRSCW 1539 : (2001) 3 Supreme 195

Criminal Law - Dying Declaration – Reliability – Criminal appeals against High Court order upholding the conviction of the accused persons under Sections 302/498A read with Section 34 IPC – High Court confirmed the trial court’s judgment based on dying declaration and other evidence – Supreme Court held dying declaration as reliable but examined its sufficiency to convict co-accused Prem Kumar Gulati – No substantial evidence implicating Prem Kumar Gulati – Conviction based solely on dying declaration without corroborative evidence held insufficient to sustain conviction – Prem Kumar Gulati acquitted. [Paras 12-20]

Role of Accused in Commission of Crime – Analysis – Held – main accused Mahender Singh Gulati’s guilt established beyond reasonable doubt based on dying declaration and corroborative evidence – Co-accused Prem Kumar Gulati found not involved in the crime based on investigation and lack of specific role in dying declaration – No evidence linking Prem Kumar Gulati to the act of pouring kerosene or setting the deceased on fire. [Para 18-19]

Decision – Conviction and Sentence – Supreme Court acquits Prem Kumar Gulati and directs his immediate release – Conviction and sentence of Mahender Singh Gulati upheld based on substantial evidence. [Para 21-23]

Referred Cases:

P. Mani v. State of Tamil Nadu, AIR 2006 SC 1319

Tapinder Singh v. State of Punjab and Another, AIR 1970 SC 1566

Godhu and Another v. State of Rajasthan, AIR 1974 SC 2188

K. Ramachandra Reddy and Another v. The Public Prosecutor, AIR 1976 SC 1994

Kali Ram v. State of Himachal Pradesh, AIR 1973 SC 2773

Atiar Rahman v. State of West Bengal, AIR 1972 SC 2529

State of Karnataka v. Shariff, AIR 2003 SC 1074

Khushal Rao v. The State of Bombay, AIR 1958 SC 22

Lallubhai Devchand Shah and Others v. The State of Gujarat, AIR 1972 SC 1776

Harbans Singh and Another v. State of Punjab, AIR 1962 SC 439

Mohan Lal and Others v. State of Haryana, (2007) 9 SCC 151

 

Family Law - Joint Family Property - Partition and Rights of Co-heirs - Appeal against High Court order affirming lower courts’ decisions - Trial court and High Court held Respondent No. 1 (defendant) to be the absolute owner of the inam lands due to individual grant of occupancy rights under the Andhra Pradesh (Telangana Area) Abolition of Inams Act, 1955 - Supreme Court reversed the finding, holding that the grant of occupancy rights was for the benefit of all legal heirs - Held that possession by one co-heir is possession for all co-heirs unless there is clear evidence of ouster - Legal principles regarding joint family property and adverse possession by a co-heir applied. [Paras 1-17]

Property Law - Inam Lands - Abolition and Grant of Occupancy Rights - Analysis - Held - Grant of occupancy rights under the Andhra Pradesh (Telangana Area) Abolition of Inams Act, 1955, in favor of one family member (defendant) does not exclude other co-heirs from their rights in the property - Legal heirs of the deceased are entitled to their respective shares in the joint family property, including inam lands. [Para 10-11]

Decision - Partition of Property - Appeal Allowed - Judgment and order of the lower courts reversed to the extent of excluding inam lands from partition - Suit for partition decreed in favor of the appellant - Inam lands to be partitioned among all legal heirs of the deceased. [Para 17]

Referred Cases:

N. Padmamma and Others v. S. Ramakrishna Reddy and Others, AIR 2008 SC 2834

Kalgonda Babgonda Patil v. Balgonda Kalgonda Patil and Others, AIR 1989 SC 1042

P. Lakshmi Reddy v. L. Lakshmi Reddy, AIR 1957 SC 314

Bhubaneshwar Prasad Narain Singh and Others v. Sidheswar Mukherjee and Others, AIR 1971 SC 2251

Lokraj and Others v. Kishan Lal and Others, (1995) 3 SCC 291

Shivappa Tammannappa Karaban v. Parasappa Hanammappa Kuraban and Others, (1995) 1 SCC 162 Supp