(421) BIPIN KUMAR AND ANOTHER Vs. THE STATE OF ASSAM[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) — Section 20(b)(ii)(c) — Suspension of sentence and release on bail — Appellants convicted under Section 20(b)(ii)(c) of NDPS Act sentenced to 15 years imprisonment — Co-accused enlarged on bail — Considering parity and period of custody of appellants being more than co-accused, Supreme Court suspended substantive jail sentence and directed release on bail, subject to no adverse orders and liberty to State to seek cancellation of su India Law Library Docid # 2441508
(422) RAMNIWAS Vs. THE STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 319 — Summoning of additional accused — High Court erred by only relying on statements recorded under Sections 161 and 164 Cr.P.C — to set aside a summoning order when the victim had been examined on oath during trial — Trial Court's order upheld, and case remanded to High Court for fresh decision. [Paras 2-4] India Law Library Docid # 2441511
(423) SHREE PRAKASH GUPTA Vs. JASWANT SINGH AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 227 — Review of High Court order passed on settlement — High Court order disposing of a petition under Article 227 based on an alleged oral settlement, without verification of the settlement by all parties and in the absence of some parties, is unsustainable in law. India Law Library Docid # 2441690
(424) MURALI Vs. KANAGARAJ AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 154 — Registration of FIR — High Court's direction to register FIR without preliminary inquiry is not legally permissible — Preliminary inquiry must be conducted first, and only if incriminating material is found, can an FIR be registered — Order of High Court to register FIR set India Law Library Docid # 2441696
(425) AJAI LALL Vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Stay of further proceedings in trial — Leave to appeal granted by Supreme Court — Further investigation continuing despite framing of charges — Trial proceedings stayed by Supreme Court — Extensive hearing required — Interim order to continue till further orders — No coercive steps against petitioner. [Paras Nil] India Law Library Docid # 2441699
(426) MOHAMMAD KALEEM Vs. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 319 — Summoning additional accused — Trial Court rejected application to summon additional accused — High Court set aside order and directed summoning — Supreme Court found Trial Court applied stricter standard than necessary — Trial Court erred in isolating inconsistencies and not considering cumulative weight of evidence — Supreme Court held testimony of complainant and India Law Library Docid # 2440805
(427) SHARLA BAZLIEL Vs. BALDEV THAKUR AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 482 — Quashing of FIR — High Court quashed FIR during investigation based on speculation and without awaiting forensic report on alleged forged documents — Such action is unjustified and premature, especially when allegations of forgery and fraud are made and expert examination is underway. India Law Library Docid # 2440806
(428) CHARAN PREET SINGH Vs. MUNICIPAL CORPORATION CHANDIGARH AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 31B and Ninth Schedule — Immunity from judicial review — Laws placed in Ninth Schedule are not absolutely immune from judicial review merely on the ground of violation of fundamental rights, as they are subject to the test of basic structure of the Constitution. India Law Library Docid # 2440807
(429) UNION OF INDIA Vs. PRAKASH INDUSTRIES LIMITED AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Coal Allocation and Supply — Dispute regarding supply of coal and compensation for wrongfully suspended supply — Supreme Court clarified that Union of India and SECL were obligated to supply coal at the current price/prevalent policy as of either April 9, 2014, or May 17, 2019, and gave the choice to the Respondent/PIL to select India Law Library Docid # 2440808
(430) SUBRAMANI Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302 and 498A — Appeal against conviction for murder and cruelty — Court considered evidence of eyewitness daughter, post-mortem report, and dying declaration of the deceased — High Court reversed acquittal by Trial Court and convicted the appellant — Trial Court acquitted on grounds of inconsistent witness testimonies, unreliable dying declaration due to India Law Library Docid # 2440809
(431) CANARA BANK OVERSEAS BRANCH REP. BY SENIOR MANAGER Vs. ARCHEAN INDUSTRIES PRIVATE LIMITED AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Contract Act, 1872 — Section 126 — Guarantee — Corporate Guarantee — Defendant No.1 executed a written undertaking (Corporate Guarantee) to pay a sum of USD 100,000 — This constituted a valid guarantee, not just a freight payment arrangement — Liability of surety is co-extensive with principal debtor. India Law Library Docid # 2440810
(432) HAMSAANANDINI NANDURI Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 — Section 5(4) as amended by Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, now Section 60(4) of the Code on Social Security, 2020 — Challenge to the validity of the age limit of three months for adopted children — Held, the age limit is discriminatory and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution — The distinction between adopting a child below three months and above three months is artificial India Law Library Docid # 2440811
(433) SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA Vs. TERRASCOPE VENTURES LIMITED ETC[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 — Section 15Z — Appeal to Supreme Court against SAT order setting aside Adjudicating Officer's order imposing penalties for violation of SEBI (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices Relating to Securities Market) Regulations, 2003 and Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 — Held, diversion of funds from preferential issue was in violation of Regulations and detrimental to investors — SAT's reversal of AO's order based on shareh India Law Library Docid # 2440812
(434) VELATHAL AND OTHERS Vs. PALANISAMY AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Civil Procedure — Settlement Agreement — Supreme Court modified High Court’s judgment in terms of a Settlement Agreement between the parties, directing them to abide by its terms and conditions, and making the agreement a part of the decree. [Paras 3 to 6] India Law Library Docid # 2441589
(435) GHOUSIA WILLIAMS Vs. PRASANNA H S AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-03-2026 Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 — Section 12 — Punishment for contempt of Court — Willful disobedience of Court order — Appellant convicted for willfully disobeying interim order directing payment of salary — Institute where appellant was Managing Trustee ceased to function due to acquisition of premises by Metro Rail Corporation and surrender of government grants — Employees had not performed any work since August 2018 — Non-compliance of order was not willful but due to intervening factors beyond India Law Library Docid # 2441597
(436) SHINY C.J. AND OTHERS Vs. SHALINI SREENIVASAN AND OHTERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 16-03-2026 Recruitment Rules — Interpretation of — Anganwadi Workers applying for Supervisor posts — Eligibility and quota for graduates vs. SSLC holders — Amendment to rules increasing quota for Anganwadi Workers and earmarking a portion for graduates — Whether graduates are excluded from the general quota for Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and 10 years' experience — Supreme Court held that India Law Library Docid # 2440765
(437) THE MANAGING DIRECTOR, KSRTC Vs. P. CHANDRAMOULI AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 16-03-2026 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 166 — Compensation — Deduction of group insurance benefits — Whether amounts received by claimants under employer-provided group insurance or other contractual/social security benefits can be deducted from compensation awarded under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Held, such benefits arise from independent contractual relationships and lack nexus with India Law Library Docid # 2440766
(438) THE STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH Vs. SURAT SINGH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 16-03-2026 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) — Section 50 — Compliance with search provisions — Accused must be apprised of legal right to be searched before a Magistrate or Gazetted Officer, not a Police Officer — Offering a third option to be searched before a Police Officer contravenes Section 50 and India Law Library Docid # 2440767
(439) HARSHDEEP THAKUR Vs. STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 16-03-2026 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 — Sections 20 and 29 — Bail — Appellant granted bail on parity with co-accused who had criminal antecedents, while appellant had no prior criminal record and had been in custody for over a year — Appeal allowed. [Paras 1–3] India Law Library Docid # 2441478
(440) SAHIL ETC. Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 16-03-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Anticipatory Bail — High Court rejected bail prayers — Supreme Court considered that custodial interrogation was not necessary given the stage of investigation and that appellants had joined investigation — Impugned judgment set aside and appellants directed to be released on bail on terms and conditions to be fixed by the trial court, with liberty to cancel bail upon breach of conditions, and with a clarification that observations are not findings on merit India Law Library Docid # 2441492