Forfeiture of Earnest Money – Legal Principles - Forfeiture of earnest money is justified if the terms of the contract are clear and explicit - Earnest money is a security for due performance and is forfeited if the purchaser defaults - Part payment of purchase price cannot be forfeited unless intended as earnest money [Paras 17-18].

Contractual Terms – Binding Nature - The contract must stipulate the conditions for forfeiture clearly - In the case at hand, the clause specified forfeiture of earnest money if the purchaser failed to fulfill the contract, justifying the seller's retention of Rs. 700,000 [Paras 8-9].

Case References – Established Precedents - The decision draws on principles from landmark cases such as Fateh Chand v. Balkishan Das and Shri Hanuman Cotton Mills v. Tata Air Craft Limited, which establish that earnest money serves as security and is forfeitable upon default by the purchaser [Paras 10-16].

High Court's Error – Misinterpretation of Precedents - The High Court misunderstood the application of these principles and erroneously reduced the forfeiture amount - The Supreme Court reinstated the full forfeiture as per the contract terms [Para 19].

Decision:

Appeal allowed - The High Court's judgment was set aside, and the trial court's decision upholding the forfeiture of the entire earnest money was restored - No order as to costs [Para 20].

Withdrawal of Petition – Bar on Second Petition - A second petition filed seeking relief against the petitioner's exclusion from a fresh tender notice is not maintainable if the first petition was withdrawn without liberty to file afresh - The Court should be cautious in drawing conclusions about mala fides unless sufficiently supported by evidence [Paras 22-26].

Tender Process – Eligibility and Qualifications - The terms and conditions of the tender required bidders to have experience in completing a breakwater project of at least 400 meters as a single bidder or lead of a consortium within the last 20 years - The evaluation of tenders and qualification criteria should be consistent with the stipulations in the tender document [Paras 8.1.1.1, 8-14].

Decision:

Appeals allowed - The High Court's order is set aside - The Board's resolution to reject the bid and annul the tender process is upheld - The matter is remanded to the High Court to examine the eligibility of the respondent under the original tender terms [Para 49].

Improper Reception of Votes – Material Facts and Particulars - Election petitions must plead material facts showing how the improper reception of votes materially affected the election result. Absence of allegations specifying that disputed votes were cast in favor of the winning candidate renders the petitions deficient, failing to disclose a cause of action [Paras 6-7, 22-26].

Non-Compliance with Election Rules – Impact on Election Result - Specific allegations of violations of the Conduct of Elections Rules, including instances of voters being accompanied to voting compartments and displaying marked ballots, must be supported by material particulars demonstrating the effect on the election outcome. Without such specifics, claims of material impact on the election result are speculative [Paras 6, 23-24].

High Court's Jurisdiction – Summary Dismissal - The High Court's dismissal of election petitions for lack of material facts and particulars was upheld. The decision emphasized the necessity of specific pleadings to establish a direct link between alleged irregularities and the election result [Paras 8, 30-31].

Decision:

Appeals dismissed - The High Court's order dismissing the election petitions was upheld, affirming the need for detailed and specific allegations in election petitions to establish how procedural violations materially affected the election outcome [Para 31-32].

Frivolous Litigation – Public Interest - Courts must carefully examine petitions to ensure genuine public interest is involved and avoid pollution of justice by unscrupulous litigants - The appeal arises from the dismissal of a habeas corpus petition filed with frivolous allegations against Shri Rahul Gandhi and awarding costs for vexatious litigation [Paras 2-4, 10].

Procedural Irregularities – Transfer of Petition - The appellant contended that the transfer of Writ Petition No. 111 of 2011 to the Division Bench was improper as it lacked jurisdiction without the Chief Justice’s order - The Division Bench dismissed the petition and imposed costs without proper hearing, raising concerns of procedural impropriety [Paras 5-8, 24-28].

Abuse of Process – Penalty for Misleading the Court - Both writ petitions (Nos. 111 of 2011 and 125 of 2011) were found to be based on falsehoods, incomplete information, and driven by ulterior motives - The petitioners misused judicial processes and wasted public resources, justifying the imposition of heavy costs [Paras 29-49].

Decision:

Appeal dismissed - The High Court’s order imposing costs of Rs. 50 lakhs was upheld, distributed as directed by the High Court - Further directions included investigation by the CBI and restriction on certain websites until the investigation concluded [Paras 20-21, 49].

Conviction and Sentence – Common Intention - The conviction of the appellant under Sections 307, 323, and 324 read with Section 34 IPC was upheld based on the evidence showing the appellant's involvement in a group attack with a premeditated intention to cause severe harm to the complainant party [Paras 1-16].

Aggressor Determination – Evidence Analysis - The trial court's detailed analysis concluded that the accused party were the aggressors, supported by consistent witness testimonies and medical reports. The appellant was found to have facilitated the knife attack by holding the complainant, enabling other accused to inflict injuries [Paras 12-13].

Medical Evidence – Confirmation of Serious Injuries - Medical evidence corroborated the severity of injuries, with one injury declared life-threatening. The appellant and co-accused's minor injuries were noted, but the major injuries were inflicted by the complainant party in self-defense [Paras 13-15].

Judicial Concurrence – Upholding Lower Courts - Both the trial court and the High Court's judgments were based on substantial evidence. The Supreme Court found no reason to interfere with the concurrent findings and the imposed sentence [Paras 16].

Decision:

Appeal dismissed - The conviction and sentence imposed by the lower courts were affirmed. The appellant was directed to surrender for the remaining part of the sentence [Para 16-17].

Right to Life – Obligation of States - The Union of India cannot be held liable for the inaction or negligence of a foreign state regarding incidents involving Indian seafarers on foreign-flagged vessels - The onus of conducting marine casualty investigations lies with the flag state or the coastal state within whose territorial waters the casualty has occurred [Paras 12-14].

Procedural Compliance – Marine Casualty Investigations - The Merchant Shipping Notice No. 26 of 2002 issued by the Government of India mandates that the Indian Maritime Administration should be invited to participate in marine casualty investigations involving Indian nationals - In the present case, the Indian Government promptly requested the flag state (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) to carry out the investigation [Paras 12-13].

Interim Compensation – Judicial Directives - The Supreme Court directed interim compensation to be paid to the families of the missing crew members, emphasizing that receipt of such compensation does not prejudice the claimants' rights to seek higher compensation through appropriate proceedings [Paras 6-7].

Adequacy of Compensation – Determination and Challenges - Compensation amounts deposited by the insurers (40,000 USD for officers and 25,000 USD for non-officers) were found adequate based on the information provided, but claimants were allowed to seek higher compensation if justified by further proceedings [Paras 17-18].

Legislative Recommendations – Enhancing Seafarers' Safety and Compensation - The Court recommended expediting proposals for setting up an Indian Maritime Casualty Investigation Cell and amending the relevant Acts and Rules to ensure the safety of seafarers and adequate compensation in case of casualties [Para 18].

Decision:

Writ petition disposed of with directions to expedite payment of compensation to the legal heirs of the victims within four months, and recommendations for legislative amendments to ensure better safety and compensation for seafarers [Paras 18-19].

Dowry Death – Conviction Based on Presumption - For a conviction under Section 304B IPC, the prosecution must show that the woman’s death was caused by burns or injuries within seven years of marriage, and that soon before her death, she was subjected to cruelty or harassment related to dowry demands - The term "deemed" in Section 304B creates a presumption of guilt, which can be rebutted by evidence [Paras 8-11].

Admissibility of Dying Declaration – Medical Evidence - The deceased’s statement to the Medical Officer that she sustained burns while cooking is admissible as a dying declaration under Section 32 of the Evidence Act - The appellant’s claim that the deceased caught fire accidentally while preparing tea is supported by medical evidence and the deceased's own statement, rebutting the presumption of dowry death [Paras 12-13].

Role of Relatives – Evidence of Harassment - Despite the appellant Roshni living separately, evidence showed her involvement in the harassment of the deceased related to dowry demands - The High Court and Sessions Court correctly held her liable under Section 498A IPC [Paras 7].

Judicial Interpretation – Balancing Presumptions and Evidence - While statutory presumptions under Section 113B Evidence Act and Section 304B IPC play a crucial role, they are subject to rebuttal through credible evidence - Courts must carefully evaluate all evidence before concluding guilt based on presumptions [Paras 10-11].

Decision:Appeal allowed in part - Conviction and sentences under Section 304B IPC set aside - Conviction and sentences under Section 498A IPC upheld - Appellants to be released if they have already served the sentence under Section 498A IPC [Para 14].

Intervention in Claim Proceedings – Railway Claims Tribunal - The Railway Claims Tribunal is constituted to adjudicate claims against the railway administration, not to resolve inter se disputes between claimants and third parties - The appellant's request to intervene in the claim petition was rightly dismissed by the Tribunal and upheld by the High Court [Paras 9-19].

Jurisdiction and Powers of the Railway Claims Tribunal - The Tribunal has jurisdiction to inquire into and determine claims against the railway administration for loss, destruction, damage, deterioration, or non-delivery of goods entrusted to it, but not disputes involving third-party contractual issues [Paras 10-11].

Delivery of Consignment – Rules and Regulations - Under the Railways (Manner of Delivery of Consignments and Sale Proceeds in the Absence of Railway Receipt) Rules, 1990, specific procedures must be followed when the railway receipt is not forthcoming - The appellant failed to show that such procedures were complied with, supporting the Tribunal's decision to reject the intervention [Paras 15-17].

Application of Rules – Evidence and Documentation - The evidence and indemnity notes required under the 1990 Rules were not sufficiently demonstrated by the appellant, validating the Tribunal's rejection of their intervention in the claim process [Paras 16-17].

Decision:

Appeal dismissed - The Tribunal's and High Court's decisions to dismiss the appellant's request for intervention in the claim petition were upheld - The Tribunal was directed to continue adjudicating the claim in accordance with the law, without considering the merits of the inter se disputes between the claimant and the third party [Paras 19].

Quashing of Proceedings – Prima Facie Case and Jurisdiction - The High Court should have examined whether the FIR disclosed a prima facie case against the appellants and the aspect of territorial jurisdiction. The proceedings initiated against the sister-in-law and brother-in-law of the complainant were quashed due to lack of specific allegations and the general tendency to involve the entire family in matrimonial disputes [Paras 13-27].

Territorial Jurisdiction – Investigative Authority - The investigation and the filing of the chargesheet by the authorities at Allahabad, despite the incident alleged to have occurred at Faridabad, raised questions of territorial jurisdiction. The High Court directed the trial court to decide on the jurisdictional challenge [Paras 9-18].

Allegations in FIR – Specificity Required - The FIR lacked specific allegations against the appellants, who were the sister and brother of the complainant's husband. The general and casual references were insufficient to proceed with the criminal trial against them, as it appeared to be a case of over-implication [Paras 19-27].

Decision:

Appeal allowed - The criminal proceedings against Geeta Mehrotra and Ramji Mehrotra were quashed due to the absence of specific allegations and material constituting the offence under Sections 498A, 323, 504, 506 IPC and Sections 3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. The High Court's order was set aside [Paras 27].