(301) BHIKA RAM AND ANOTHER Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956 — Section 16 — Creation of Revenue Villages — Naming Convention — Circular dated 20.08.2009, Clause 4 — Policy regarding naming — Clause 4 mandates that the name of a new Revenue Village shall not be based on any person, religion, caste, or sub-caste — Names "Amargarh" and "Sagatsar" derived from names of individuals (Amarram and Sagat Singh) — Naming India Law Library Docid # 2437143
(302) STATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER Vs. MOHD ARSHAD KHAN AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Quashing of FIR — Protection from Arrest — Directions for time-bound investigation — High Court, while declining to quash the FIR, directed the completion of investigation within 90 days and granted protection from arrest till the court takes cognizance (following 'Shobhit Nehra v. State of U.P.') — 'Legality': Such directions granting protection from arrest while India Law Library Docid # 2437144
(303) M.K. RANJITSINH AND OTHERS Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Environmental Law — Wildlife Protection and Conservation — Protection of Great Indian Bustard (GIB) and Lesser Florican (LF) — Conflict between conservation goals and green energy generation (solar/wind) — Supreme Court modified earlier blanket prohibition on overhead transmission lines based on Expert Committee recommendations to balance non-negotiable preservation of GIB with sustainable development and India's international climate change commitments — India Law Library Docid # 2437133
(304) LAKSHMANAN Vs. STATE THROUGH THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 439(2) — Cancellation of Bail — Annulment of Bail — Distinction — Cancellation of bail is generally based on supervening circumstances and post-bail misconduct; Annulment of an order granting bail is warranted when the order is vitiated by perversity, illegality, arbitrariness, or non-application of mind — High Court granted bail ignoring prior cancellation of bail due to commission of murder by accused (while on bail) of a key witness in the first India Law Library Docid # 2437134
(305) K.P. KIRANKUMAR @ KIRAN Vs. STATE BY PEENYA POLICE[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 366A, 372, 373, 34 — Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA) — Section 3, 4, 5, 6 — Child Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation — Evidence of Minor Victim — Appreciation of Evidence — Concurrent findings of fact by Trial Court and High Court regarding conviction for procuring and sexually exploiting a minor victim upheld — Prosecution case substantially corroborated by testimony of minor victim (PW-13), India Law Library Docid # 2437135
(306) UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS Vs. PRANAB KUMAR NATH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Service Law — Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Rules, 2001 — Rule 18(b) — Recruitment: Disqualification — Second Marriage — Rule 18(b) disqualifies a person who, having a spouse living, has entered into or contracted a marriage with another person from appointment to the Force — Respondent, a CISF Constable, was dismissed from service for marrying a second time while his first marriage subsisted, violating Rule 18(b) — Held, the rule is a service condition intended to maintain India Law Library Docid # 2437136
(307) PATCHAIPERUMAL @ PATCHIKUTTI AND ANOTHER Vs. STATE REP. BY INSPECTOR OF POLICE AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 302 read with 34, 148, and 341 — Murder —Appeal against reversal of acquittal — Appellate court’s duty in overturning acquittal — Trial court’s acquittal based on "imaginary and illusionary reasons" and misappreciation of evidence, including attributing undue significance to minor contradictions and perceived manipulation of delayed FIR submission, justifies India Law Library Docid # 2437137
(308) M/S SRI OM SALES Vs. ABHAY KUMAR @ ABHAY PATEL AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Inherent powers of High Court — Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — Section 138 (Dishonour of cheque for insufficiency of funds) — Quashing of criminal proceedings — Scope of inquiry at pre-trial stage — When complaint discloses all necessary ingredients of Section 138 of N.I. Act, High Court should not conduct a roving inquiry into disputed questions of fact, such as whether the cheque was issued for the discharge of a legally India Law Library Docid # 2437138
(309) SYED SHAHNAWAZ ALI Vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Sections 397 and 401 — Criminal Revision — Abatement on death of Revisionist — Distinction between Abatement of Appeal (Section 394) and Revision — Lack of specific provision for abatement of revision and substitution of legal heirs — Revisional power is discretionary, exerted suo motu, to ensure justice and examine correctness/legality of subordinate court India Law Library Docid # 2437128
(310) RATNANK MISHRA AND OTHERS Vs. HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD THROUGH REGISTRAR GENERAL[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Service Law — High Court Staff — Regularization — Discrimination — Appellants (Operator-cum-Data Entry Assistants/Routine Grade Clerks) appointed by Chief Justice under Rules 8(a)(i), 41, and 45 of Allahabad High Court Officers and Staff (Conditions of Service and Conduct) Rules, 1976 — High Court refused regularization of Appellants while regularizing numerous similarly situated employees appointed through the same channel — Justification based on whether India Law Library Docid # 2437129
(311) MAYANKKUMAR NATWARLAL KANKANA PATEL AND ANOTHER Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973 — Section 311 — Power to summon material witness, or examine person present — Principles governing exercise of power — Application seeking to examine minor child (aged 4 years 9 months at time of incident) seven years after incident and after examination of 21 prosecution witnesses — Necessity of witness for 'just decision of the case' — The power under India Law Library Docid # 2437130
(312) SHARP BUSINESS SYSTEM THR. FINANCE DIRECTOR MR. YOSHIHISA MIZUNO Vs. COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX-III N.D[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 19-12-2025 Income Tax Act, 1961 — Section 37(1) — Revenue Expenditure vs. Capital Expenditure — Non-compete fee — Whether payment of non-compete fee constitutes allowable revenue expenditure or capital expenditure — Non-compete fee is paid to restrain a competitor, which protects or enhances the business profitability and facilitates carrying on the business more efficiently — Such payment neither creates a new asset nor increases the profit-earning apparatus for the payer, meaning the India Law Library Docid # 2437131
(313) RAMJEE PRASAD KAMKAR AND OTHERS Vs. THE STATE OF BIHAR[PATNA HIGH COURT] 19-12-2025 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 366A (Procuration of minor girl), 120B (Criminal conspiracy), and 376 (Rape) — Appeal against conviction — Appreciation of Evidence — Minor Victim — Age of victim: Medical evidence was inconclusive regarding the exact age of the victim, merely suggesting it was around 17 years and stating that third molar eruption range (17–25 years) made precise age determination difficult. India Law Library Docid # 2437159
(314) SULEMAN BARBHAIYA LAKHIMPUR Vs. THE STATE OF ASSAM[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 19-12-2025 Criminal Law — Murder (Section 302 IPC) — Appeal against conviction and sentence — Circumstantial Evidence — Last Seen Theory — Burden of Proof (Section 106 Evidence Act) — The appellant was convicted for the murder of his wife; no direct eye witnesses existed — Evidence indicated the appellant and deceased were last seen together, and the appellant admitted being with her when she India Law Library Docid # 2437230
(315) PANKAJ DIXIT Vs. THE UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 19-12-2025 Service Law — Promotion — Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) — Below benchmark grading — Communication of ACR entries — The petitioner, an Executive Engineer (Civil) in the Border Roads Engineering Service (General Reserve Engineering Force), was denied promotion in 2010-11 due to "average" (below benchmark) ACR gradings for 2005-06 and 2006-07 — Petitioner contended that these gradings, being a downgrading compared to other years, should have been India Law Library Docid # 2437231
(316) SRI CHIRANJEEB DAS Vs. THE STATE OF ASSAM AND OTHERS[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 19-12-2025 Assam Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1964 (Rules of 1964) — Rule 9 — Disciplinary Proceedings — De Novo Enquiry — Powers of Disciplinary Authority — Absence of specific provision in Rules of 1964 for initiating de novo/fresh enquiry merely because Disciplinary Authority disagrees with Enquiry Officer's finding in favour of delinquent officer is established law — However, de novo enquiry is permissible to rectify serious defects or lapses in procedure (e.g., failure to furnish India Law Library Docid # 2437232
(317) SMT. NISHA DEVLIYA Vs. SMT. NANDINI AND OTHERS[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT (INDORE BENCH)] 19-12-2025 M.P. Municipal Corporation Act, 1956 — Section 441-F(2), 441, 441-B, 441-D, 441-H — Setting aside election of Councillor — Disqualification for non-disclosure/false information in nomination affidavit — Scope of judicial review in Civil Revision — Trial court erred in setting aside the election based on assumptions (surmises and conjectures) about potential tax arrears if municipal records were updated, rather than on proof of existing arrears or substantial non-compliance with India Law Library Docid # 2437148
(318) JYOTINDER SINGH SALUJA AND OTHERS Vs. BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICAL LTD.[MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 19-12-2025 Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 — Section 2(g), 5, 7 — Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants — Unauthorised Occupation — Licence Expiration — Where a licence for an industrial plot expired in 2011 and was not formally renewed, the occupant's continued possession falls under the definition of India Law Library Docid # 2437150
(319) P.V. RAVI, Vs. SPE/CBI KOCHI[KERALA HIGH COURT] 19-12-2025 Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 — Section 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) — Criminal Conspiracy – Indian Penal Code, 1860 — Section 120B — Misappropriation of loan amount — Allegation that public servant (Bank Manager, A1) conspired with a builder (A2) to misappropriate a housing loan sanctioned in the name of a third party (PW18) without house construction — Evidence showing loan amount (Rs. 3 Lakh) was sanctioned and almost entirely encashed using cheques by the builder (A2) through his st India Law Library Docid # 2437153
(320) SAYED HUSSAIN HYDROSE THANGAL Vs. K.J. PAUL AND OTHERS[KERALA HIGH COURT] 19-12-2025 Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Order 6 Rule 17 (Amendment of Pleadings) — Admissibility of amendment after completion of evidence — Res Judicata (Section 11 C.P.C.) — The court must ensure that a proposed amendment does not cause injustice or prejudice to the opposite party or circumvent a legal bar, such as res judicata; otherwise, it would be unjust and impermissible — The fundamental principles of res judicata, which confer finality and conclusiveness to decisions to India Law Library Docid # 2437154