Substitution of Legal Representatives – Where a respondent was dead when the SLP was filed, the remedy is not substitution but an amendment of the appeal memorandum – Applications for amendment and condonation of delay should be considered – Federal Court and various High Courts have held that appeals against dead persons are incompetent and require fresh applications for inclusion of legal representatives, subject to condonation of delay if justified [Paras 6-7].

Supreme Court Rules – Order XVI Rules 8 and 9 apply to cases where the respondent was alive when the SLP was filed and died thereafter – In cases where the respondent was dead at the time of filing, the appropriate remedy is to amend the SLP and seek condonation of delay [Paras 7-8].

Decision: I.A. No. 2 of 2011 treated as an application for amendment of the SLP – Delay in filing the application satisfactorily explained, hence condoned – I.A. Nos. 2 and 3 of 2011 allowed – I.A. Nos. 4 and 5 for exemption from filing official translation and death certificate of the deceased allowed – I.A. No. 6 for deletion of proforma Respondent No. 2 allowed at the risk of the Petitioner – Interlocutory applications disposed of [Para 8].

Criminal Law – Circumstantial Evidence – Conviction based on circumstantial evidence upheld – Evidence of hostile witness can be relied upon to the extent it supports the prosecution's case – Absence of motive requires closer scrutiny of evidence – Delay in lodging the complaint reasonably explained by the complainant [Paras 10-14, 23].

Evidence Act, 1872 – Section 106 – Burden of proof shifts to the accused to explain facts within their special knowledge when last seen with the deceased – Failure to provide a satisfactory explanation can be an additional link in the chain of circumstantial evidence [Paras 22-24].

Penal Code, 1860 – Sections 302/149, 201, and 147 – Appellants convicted of murder and related offenses based on circumstantial evidence – Chain of events and circumstances sufficiently proved to exclude any reasonable hypothesis other than the guilt of the accused [Paras 32-33].

Decision: Appeals dismissed – Conviction and sentence of appellants upheld by the Supreme Court – High Court's judgment affirmed [Para 33].

Teacher Education – Recognition – National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 and associated Regulations – Recognition for conducting D.El.Ed. course cannot be granted with retrospective effect – Institution must comply with all norms before formal recognition is granted – Recognition and affiliation required before admitting students [Paras 1-36].

Judicial Review – Retrospective Effect – High Court erred in directing recognition from a retrospective date – Recognition order operates prospectively – No mandamus for retrospective recognition where conditions remain unfulfilled [Paras 13-34].

Statutory Compliance – Institutions must adhere strictly to statutory requirements – Delay in processing does not justify deviation from legal norms – Institutions and students must ensure compliance before admission [Paras 35-37].

Decision: Appeal allowed – High Court's order set aside – NCTE's order restored – No costs [Para 37].

Motor Vehicle Accident – Compensation – Claim for compensation due to permanent disability and loss of future earnings upheld – Compensation for pain and suffering and loss of amenities awarded – Future replacement of artificial limbs and medical expenses considered – Interest on the enhanced sum granted at 9% per annum from the date of filing the claim petition until deposit [Paras 1-16].

Permanent Disability – Loss of Earnings – High Court erred in not awarding compensation for permanent disability and loss of future earnings separately – Compensation for permanent disability and loss of future earnings should be computed distinctly as per established legal principles [Paras 5-10].

Pain and Suffering – Loss of Amenities – Additional compensation for pain, suffering, and loss of amenities awarded – Approach to compensation should be liberal and balanced, considering the impact on quality of life [Paras 6-9].

Interest on Compensation – Interest on the enhanced compensation sum to be awarded at the rate of 9% per annum from the date of filing the claim petition till the deposit – Tribunal's rate of interest deemed just and proper [Paras 13-15].

Decision: Appeal allowed in part – Compensation enhanced with additional sums for permanent disability, pain and suffering, and future medical expenses – Interest on the enhanced amount awarded at 9% per annum from the date of claim filing till deposit – No order as to costs [Para 16].

Eviction for Unauthorized Structural Changes - Appeal by the landlord against High Court's reversal of trial court's decree of eviction upheld - Tenant's replacement of tin-sheet roof with concrete slab and construction of a permanent passage found to violate Clauses (m), (o), and (p) of Section 108 of Transfer of Property Act - High Court’s finding that such replacement was an improvement and not a violation was overturned - Appeal allowed, eviction decree restored [Paras 1-27].

Permanent Structure - Definition and Application - Construction deemed permanent if intended to last till the end of the lease term - High Court's reliance on improvement interpretation rejected - Permanent structures without landlord's consent constitute a violation warranting eviction [Paras 13-19].

Applicability of Precedents - Decisions under different state rent control acts with differing provisions distinguished - Rajasthan, UP, and Kerala Acts requiring proof of material alteration or impairment not applicable - West Bengal Act’s focus solely on unauthorized permanent structures upheld [Paras 20-26].

Decision:

Appeal allowed - High Court’s order set aside - Trial Court’s decree of eviction restored - Respondent granted one year to vacate premises subject to conditions [Para 27].

Hire-Purchase Agreements – Repossession by Financier - Dispute arose when the financier repossessed a vehicle under a hire-purchase agreement due to non-payment of installments - High Court quashed criminal proceedings initiated by the petitioner for forcible possession - Supreme Court upheld High Court's decision, confirming financier's legal right to repossess under the terms of the agreement, distinguishing civil disputes from criminal offenses [Paras 1-9].

Criminal and Civil Jurisdiction – Misuse of Criminal Proceedings - Supreme Court emphasized that disputes arising out of hire-purchase agreements, particularly concerning repossession of property by the financier, should be resolved in civil courts unless clear evidence of criminal intent exists - Repossession as per contract terms does not constitute theft or criminal misappropriation [Paras 5-8].

Judicial Precedents – Interpretation of Hire-Purchase Agreements - Supreme Court relied on previous judgments (e.g., Sardar Trilok Singh v. Satya Deo Tripathi, K.A. Mathai v. Kora Bibbikutty, Charanjit Singh Chadha v. Sudhir Mehra) to reaffirm that repossession by financier does not amount to criminal offense - Highlighted that in hire-purchase agreements, ownership remains with financier until full payment is made [Paras 6-8].

Decision:

Petition dismissed - High Court's quashing of criminal proceedings against respondents upheld - Repossession under hire-purchase agreement confirmed as legal [Para 9].

Condonation of Delay – Tribunal’s Power - The Customs Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has the discretionary power under Section 129A(5) of the Customs Act, 1962, to condone delays in filing appeals under Section 129D(4) if sufficient cause is shown - The High Court correctly upheld the Tribunal’s discretion to condone a 10-day delay in filing the appeal [Paras 13-21].

Application of Section 129A to Section 129D - The provisions of Section 129A of the Customs Act are applicable to applications made under Section 129D(4) - The Tribunal has the authority to condone delays in filing applications under Section 129D(4) by invoking the provisions of Section 129A(5) [Paras 12-14].

Legal Fiction and Interpretation - Legal fiction created by incorporating provisions of one section into another must be given full effect - The Tribunal’s power to condone delay under Section 129A(5) must be interpreted to apply to applications under Section 129D(4) [Paras 12-14].

Distinguishing Cases - Previous cases, such as Hongo India Pvt. Ltd. and others, that addressed condonation of delay under different statutory provisions do not apply here as the statutory framework of the Customs Act is distinct - The Tribunal's decision to condone the delay was appropriate given the specific statutory context [Paras 16-19].

Decision:

Appeal dismissed - High Court's decision upholding the Tribunal's power to condone the delay in filing under Section 129D(4) of the Customs Act confirmed [Para 21].

Commanding Officer's Role – Summary Court-Martial - The commanding officer who issued the charge sheet can also convene and preside over the summary court-martial as per the Army Act and Army Rules - There is no disqualification for such an officer in conducting summary court-martial proceedings [Paras 16-17].

Absence Without Leave – Court-Martial Procedure - The respondent was charged under Section 39(a) of the Army Act for unauthorized absence - He pleaded guilty and was dismissed from service by the summary court-martial, a procedure that followed Army Rules and was legally valid [Paras 19-20].

Fair Trial and Natural Justice - The argument that the respondent was denied a fair trial was not raised in the writ petition and lacked foundation - No violation of principles of natural justice occurred, and the proceedings were conducted according to the statutory provisions [Paras 18, 22].

Applicability of Precedents - The decision in Vidya Parkash v. Union of India was found applicable, affirming the legality of the commanding officer presiding over the summary court-martial - Other cited cases regarding principles of natural justice were not applicable to the facts of this case [Paras 20-22].

Decision:

Appeal allowed - The judgments of the Single Judge and the Division Bench were set aside - The order of dismissal from service was upheld [Para 23].

Murder Conviction – Circumstantial Evidence - The appellant was convicted for the murder of his wife, Remani, based on circumstantial evidence indicating forced administration of poison and smothering - Both the Trial Court and High Court affirmed the conviction, finding sufficient evidence of murder rather than suicide [Paras 24-34].

Motive and Domestic Abuse - Evidence of strained matrimonial relations and frequent physical abuse by the appellant provided a motive for the murder - Testimonies from family members and neighbors corroborated the history of domestic violence [Paras 2-7, 9-14, 17].

Medical Evidence – Cause of Death - Medical testimony indicated that Remani died from the combined effects of carbofuran poisoning and smothering - Injuries on her body suggested resistance to the forced administration of poison [Paras 15, 22-23, 31].

Interference by Supreme Court - The Supreme Court reaffirmed that it seldom interferes with concurrent findings of fact unless there is a substantial miscarriage of justice - No such exceptional circumstance was found in this case to warrant interference [Paras 24-27].

Decision:

Appeal dismissed - Conviction and sentence upheld - No merit found in the appeal [Paras 34-35].