(641) THE STATE OF HARYANA Vs. KRISHAN KUMAR AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 — Drug Rules, 1945 — Rule 49 — Essential Qualifications — Appointment of Drug Inspector/Drug Control Officer — State Government cannot prescribe qualifications different from those prescribed by Central Government under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules. India Law Library Docid # 2438228
(642) ANIL KUMAR @ KASHI AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 438 — Anticipatory bail — Grant of anticipatory bail — Factors to consider — Filing of charge sheet — Pendency before Trial Court — Non-cooperation of appellants — Issuance of bailable warrants — Direction for appearance before Trial Court — Grant of anticipatory bail on terms and conditions to satisfaction of Trial Court — Liberty to Trial Court to India Law Library Docid # 2438350
(643) STATE OF KERALA AND OTHERS Vs. M/S. ALANKAR ELITE INNS AND HOTELS (P) LTD.[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Kerala Abkari Act, 1954 — Section 67(2) and (3) & Rule 19(iv) of Foreign Liquor Rules, 1953 — Regularization of hotel liquor license after reconstitution of Board of Directors without prior permission — Fee leviable based on the law in force at the time the permission or regularization is *granted*, not when the violation occurred — No right accrues to the State to demand fee until the act is permitted or allowed. India Law Library Docid # 2438361
(644) UNION TERRITORY OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR AND OTHERS Vs. SABA WANI[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Administrative Law — Policy Implementation — Judicial Review — When a policy decision is challenged, courts may require clarification on its implementation, particularly concerning specific clauses and their impact on selections and appointments. India Law Library Docid # 2438367
(645) M/S RIAR BUILDERS PVT LTD AND ANOTHER Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 National Highways Act, 1956 — Sections 3G and 3J — Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 34 — Landowners aggrieved by compensation — High Court declared Sections 3G and 3J unconstitutional, invalidating the arbitral mechanism — Landowners withdrew Section 34 petitions — Supreme Court stayed High Court's judgment, reviving the arbitral framework temporarily — Landowners India Law Library Docid # 2438373
(646) STATE OF UP AND OTHERS Vs. MANISH DWIVEDI[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Compassionate Appointment — Delay in Application — A deceased police officer's son applied for compassionate appointment 15 years after his father's death, having attained majority 4 years prior. The High Court directed reconsideration based on sympathy and educational pursuits, deeming the delay bona fide. India Law Library Docid # 2438377
(647) BAREILLY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Vs. OM PRAKASH AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Land Acquisition Act, 1894 / 2013 — Compensation — Deposit — Deposit of 100% compensation by development authority directed by High Court — Supreme Court substitutes this with deposit of 50% pending final decision by High Court. India Law Library Docid # 2438379
(648) ANWAR HUSSAIN Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Criminal Procedure — Investigation Integrity — Use of "stock witnesses" — Repeated use of the same witnesses to support police versions of alleged crimes, known as "stock witnesses," is a practice that undermines the fairness and impartiality of investigations and is contrary to the rule of law. India Law Library Docid # 2438386
(649) SANJEEV AND OTHERS Vs. THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 — Sections 2/3 — Proceeding under the Act initiated solely on basis of a Sessions Case under Indian Penal Code — Acquittal in the solitary Sessions Case — Basis for the Gangster Act proceeding no longer in existence — Proceedings under Gangster Act liable to be quashed. India Law Library Docid # 2438508
(650) JAGRUTI DHANESH THORAT Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Bail — Parity — Principle of parity to be considered for granting bail, especially when other co-accused with similar or identical allegations have been enlarged on bail. The court can deviate from parity if the accused has a demonstrably higher role or is on a significantly different footing, but this requires careful examination. India Law Library Docid # 2438540
(651) HARISH RANA Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Medical Examination by Secondary Board — Report filed — Copy provided to counsel for petitioner and respondent — Counsel requested to study report and assist court. India Law Library Docid # 2438662
(652) SHAHID SALIM KHAN Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 439 — Grant of Bail — Delay in Trial — Long incarceration for over three years and six months without framing of charges — All co-accused granted bail — Appellant entitled to bail on grounds of delay in commencement of trial and period of incarceration. India Law Library Docid # 2438665
(653) ALAGU Vs. THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Preventive Detention — Conditions for Detaining a Person Already in Custody — Awareness of Custody, Likelihood of Release, and Likelihood of Future Prejudicial Activities — For preventive detention of a person already in jail, the detaining authority must be aware of the custody, have grounds to believe there's a real possibility of release on bail or otherwise, and be satisfied that on release, the person India Law Library Docid # 2438674
(654) JAGDISH CHAND SHARMA Vs. STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 439 — Bail — Factors considered — Delay in lodging FIR — Nature of injuries — Duration of incarceration — Supreme Court granted bail to appellant despite opposition from State, considering delay in FIR, minimal use of weapons, and over eight months of custody. India Law Library Docid # 2438675
(655) VIKASH KUCHBANDIYA Vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 389 — Suspension of sentence and release on bail — Appeal pending for eight years — Appellant has suffered substantial period in custody (11 years 5 months 24 days) — Co-accused granted bail — High prospect of early hearing of appeal is remote — Supreme Court inclined to India Law Library Docid # 2438686
(656) VIKAS KOL Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 439 — Bail — Prima facie case — Court should not delve into merits of rival contentions at bail stage as it may prejudice trial — Factors like inducement or provocation to commit suicide or India Law Library Docid # 2438704
(657) DINESH BIWAJI ASHTIKAR Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) — Section 12 — Constitutional Mandate — Free and Compulsory Education — Admission of children from weaker and disadvantaged sections — Obligation of "neighbourhood school" to admit twenty-five percent of class strength from weaker and disadvantaged sections (Section 12(1)(c)) is transformative, securing the preambular objective of 'equality of status' and the constitutional right under Article India Law Library Docid # 2438086
(658) NIRMALA BAI AND OTHERS Vs. MANSINGH AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 166 — Compensation for motor accident — Assessment of income — Court can enhance the income of the deceased from ₹5,000/- per month to ₹8,000/- per month considering the nature of occupation (cultivation, animal husbandry, milk vending) and contribution to family. India Law Library Docid # 2438881
(659) RAI SINGH MARKAM ETC. Vs. STATE OF CHHATTISGARH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 — Sections 5(g) & 6 read with Section 376D of Indian Penal Code — Conviction and Sentence — Victim's age 16 years 4 months and 26 days — Evidence of prosecutrix and medical evidence corroborated — Defence failed to elicit anything substantial in cross-examination — High Court rightly affirmed Trial Court's conviction. India Law Library Docid # 2439654
(660) RAMPHAL AND OTHERS Vs. HARYANA STATE INDUSTRIAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LIMITED AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 13-01-2026 Land Acquisition Act, 1894 — Section 11, 18, 28A — Co-sharers' entitlement to compensation — High Court held that co-sharers who did not file objections to the award under Section 11 or move under Section 28A within limitation were not entitled to maintain execution petitions for compensation — Supreme Court disagreed. India Law Library Docid # 2442222