(141) PATEL JOSHNABEN PRAVINKUMAR PATEL AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 306 & 114 — Abetment of suicide — Quashing of FIR — Essential ingredients of abetment — FIR registered against in-laws under Sections 306/114 IPC following the suicide of the deceased husband — Allegations in FIR and suicide note centered on marital dispute, wife leaving matrimonial home, and initiation of criminal/maintenance proceedings by wife — Held, to sustain an FIR for abetment of suicide, the essential ingredients under India Law Library Docid # 2449636
(142) HEMANT KUMAR AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF HARYANA[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Service Law — Deputation and Absorption — Backdoor Entry — Political Interference — Four officers of the Development and Panchayat Department were transferred on deputation and subsequently absorbed into the Public Works Department (Building and Roads) as Assistant Engineers/Sub-Divisional Engineers — The Court found these deputations and absorptions were initiated on individual India Law Library Docid # 2449431
(143) RAJENDRA PRASAD Vs. STATE OF GOA AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 439 — Grant of bail — Claim of parity and prolonged incarceration — Petitioner facing trial for murder under Sections 342, 302, 201 read with Section 120-B, IPC — Application for bail on ground of parity with co-accused who were granted bail, as well as prolonged incarceration of nearly three years — Held — Parity is not a mechanical mathematical formula and must be assessed based on the specific role attributed to each accused in the factual matrix — Pr India Law Library Docid # 2449437
(144) BAPPA BARAI AND OTHERS Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Railway Protection Force Rules, 1987 — Rules 52 and 67 — Employment Notice — Attestation Form — Discharge from service — Non-disclosure and deliberate suppression of pending criminal antecedents during recruitment process — Appellants, candidates for the post of Constable in RPF/RPSF, suppressed details of pending criminal cases in their attestation forms — Orders of discharge passed after India Law Library Docid # 2449356
(145) M/S. UTKARSH ENTERPRISES AND OTHERS Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Government Contracts and Tenders — Tender Conditions — Challenge to Eligibility Criteria — Delay and Laches — Public Procurement — Directorate of Education issued tenders for procurement of sports goods and gym equipment for government schools — Appellants challenged conditions relating to past performance, India Law Library Docid # 2449357
(146) GOPI @ SAHAYA PURUNA Vs. THE STATE, REP. BY THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 386(b) & 397/401 — Enhancement of sentence — Revisional jurisdiction vs. Appellate jurisdiction — Appellant challenged his conviction and life sentence before the High Court — High Court exercised suo motu revisional power and enhanced sentence to imprisonment for remainder of natural life — Held, in an appeal against conviction filed by the India Law Library Docid # 2449358
(147) THE NEW INDIA ASSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED AND OTHERS Vs. M/S LOUIS DREYFUS COMMODITIES INDIA PVT. LTD[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Insurance Act, 1938 — Section 64VB — Marine Cargo Annual Turnover Policy — Advance payment of premium — Statutory embargo on risk assumption — Insured obtained a Marine Cargo Annual Turnover Policy for INR 1200 Crores, but its actual turnover exceeded the insured limit prior to a fire loss at its freight station — Additional premium to enhance coverage was paid after the incident India Law Library Docid # 2449359
(148) RAJIV CHANDRA JHA Vs. STEEL AUTHORITY OF INDIA LTD. AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Service Law — Disciplinary Proceedings — Proof of misconduct — Disagreement by Disciplinary Authority — Appellants terminated for alleged impersonation in examination based solely on CFSL report showing signature variations — Inquiry Officer exonerated appellants — Disciplinary Authority reversed findings ignoring oral testimony of independent witnesses affirming appellants' presence — Held, initial burden on employer was not discharged — CFSL expert or exam invigilator was not examined — Signat India Law Library Docid # 2451789
(149) SHAILENDRA MANI TRIPATHI Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 32 — Police Excesses and Right to Peaceful Assembly — Constitution of High-Powered Enquiry Committee — Batch of writ petitions alleged indiscriminate and disproportionate force by security forces against peaceful protestors, including deployment of pellet guns, electric batons, and violence against women. Respondents counter-alleged violence by protestors, injury to police personnel, and damage to public property. Finding a prima facie case for an independen India Law Library Docid # 2451809
(150) LAKKAPPA Vs. RITESH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — Section 138 — Dishonour of cheque — Sentencing and compensation — Balancing punitive severity with financial restitution — High Court set aside simple imprisonment and limited sentence to fine — Cheques were issued towards purchase of agricultural produce, leaving dues unpaid since 2016 — Held, Section 138 provides a regulatory remedy enabling imposition of fine up to twice the cheque amount — Substantial justice requires balancing punitive severity with financ India Law Library Docid # 2451819
(151) PATEL JOSHNABEN PRAVINKUMAR PATEL AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 306 and 107 — Abetment of suicide — Essential ingredients — Initiation of legal proceedings — Wife lodged an FIR under Sections 498A/323 IPC against deceased husband and sent a notice for maintenance, following which husband died by suicide — Deceased's brother lodged FIR against wife's parents and brother under Sections 306 and 114 IPC — Held, lodging an FIR or claiming maintenance constitutes exercise of a legal right and does not, per se, amount to instigatin India Law Library Docid # 2451827
(152) BALBIR SINGH Vs. STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 — Section 20 — Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 439 — Regular bail — Conscious possession and delay in trial — Recovery of 1.477 kg charas from vehicle — Chargesheet filed, but trial progressed at a snail's pace with only 6 of 18 witnesses examined — Independent witness (Gram Pradhan) testified that the vehicle was parked and appellant was not seen driving — Prosecution yet to establish conscious possession of contraband at trial India Law Library Docid # 2451731
(153) RISHI MALHOTRA AND ANOTHER Vs. UNION OF INDIA[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 18-08-2026 Constitution of India, 1950 — Articles 14, 21 and 32 — Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — Section 354(5) — Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — Section 393(5) — Capital punishment — Mode of execution — Constitutional validity of hanging by the neck — Precedent and stare decisis — Validity of hanging as the sole statutory mode was exhaustively examined and upheld in Deena v. Union of India and affirmed in Shashi Nayar — Principle of stare decisis restricts a two-Judge Bench from departing f India Law Library Docid # 2452229
(154) M/S SANTOSH ASSOCIATE PRIVATE LIMITED Vs. HARYANA STATE INDUSTRIAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LTD.[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-08-2026 Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Sections 16, 37(2) & 18 — Mandatory pre-deposit clause for initiating arbitration — Validity and maintainability of reference — Arbitrator dismissed contractor's claim for failing to deposit 10% of claim amount as pre-deposit per contractual clause — Commercial Court affirmed order relying on S.K. Jain [(2009) 4 SCC 357] — Held, pre-deposit clauses requiring India Law Library Docid # 2449292
(155) UNION OF INDIA Vs. CHIDIEBERE KINGSLEY NAWCHARA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-08-2026 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 — Sections 8(c), 21(c), 23(c), 27A, 28, 29 & 37 — Grant and Cancellation of Bail to Foreign National — Non-compliance with statutory conditions and jumping of bail — Held, grant of bail under special statutes like the NDPS Act requires strict compliance with the twin conditions under S. 37(1)(b)(ii) — The court must be satisfied on reasonable grounds that the accused is not guilty and is unlikely to commit any offence while on bail — India Law Library Docid # 2449293
(156) NEPAL SINGH Vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-08-2026 Penal Code, 1860 — Sections 302/149, 324/149, 148 & 147 — Eyewitness testimony — Unreliable and contradictory evidence — Acquittal — Conviction of accused based on testimonies of alleged injured eyewitness (PW-6) and deceased's wife (PW-7) set aside — PW-6 admitted falling unconscious upon the first blow and not personally witnessing his father being struck — PW-7 admitted reaching the spot after the incident occurred, contradicting her examination-in-chief — Their India Law Library Docid # 2449294
(157) THE STATE OF KARNATAKA AND ANOTHER Vs. PRATHIK PARASRAMPURIA[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-08-2026 Election Law — Electoral Integrity and Free and Fair Elections — Role of Money Power / Black Money — Money power and undeclared/black money used to influence voters strike at the very heart of representative government and compromise the core of a democratic polity — Free and fair elections demand that voters exercise their choice unencumbered by monetary gratification or inducements — The three foundational concepts—democracy, the rule of law, and the electoral process—are India Law Library Docid # 2449295
(158) KESHVENDRA SINGH Vs. SHANKAR SINGH AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-08-2026 U.P. Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 — Section 12— Scope & Interpretation — Priority of Proceedings — Section 12 of the Gangsters Act does not operate to freeze, stay, or indefinitely stall trials for predicate/underlying offences (such as murder) pending in other courts until the gangster trial concludes — The true purpose of Section 12 is to provide priority in the India Law Library Docid # 2449296
(159) ILABEN Vs. THE STATE OF GUJARAT AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-08-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 482 — Quashing of criminal proceedings — Offence of cheating and sexual favors on false promise to marry — Allegations against mother of main accused — Proceedings were initiated alleging that the appellant’s son obtained sexual favors and financial gains on a false promise of marriage with the appellant’s active connivance — Held, the First Information Statement revealed a consensual relationship and contained India Law Library Docid # 2449360
(160) KANAD SAHA Vs. THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 17-08-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 9CrPC) — Section 482 —Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 506, 509, and 34 — Quashing of criminal proceedings — Absence of specific allegations in FIR and Chargesheet — Abuse of process — Second respondent (a advocate) filed a complaint alleging intimidation and abusive language against the appellant, who was a friend of her client (3rd respondent) in a fee dispute — High Court declined to quash, noting that a chargesheet had been filed — Held, the FIR and voluminous India Law Library Docid # 2449361