(1) GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI Vs. M/S. RAM KRISHAN YUDHISTER PRAKASH[DELHI HIGH COURT] 31-10-2026 Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 12(5) read with Seventh Schedule — Unilateral appointment of Arbitrator — Ineligibility — PWD, GNCTD unilaterally appointed its retired Principal Chief Engineer as Sole Arbitrator in terms of a contractual clause — Held, unilateral appointment of an arbitrator by one party is legally impermissible and hit by Section 12(5) read with the Seventh Schedule — In the absence of an express written agreement entered into after disputes arose, the appointm India Law Library Docid # 2457856
(2) S.M.I. ASIR EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND OTHERS Vs. THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND ANOTHER[BOMBAY HIGH COURT (AURANGABAD BENCH)] 31-10-2026 Maharashtra Employees of Private Schools (Conditions of Service) Act, 1977 — Section 3(2) and Section 5 — Applicability to minority institutions — Rejection of approval of teacher's appointment — Petitioners contended MEPS Act and Rules do not apply to minority institutions — Held, Section 3(2) carves out an exception strictly for recruitment of the Head of a minority school and up to three other notified employees — Appointee was neither the Head of the school nor one of the notified persons — India Law Library Docid # 2457895
(3) SANTHOSH KUMAR N.P Vs. STATE-STATION HOUSE OFFICER, KADIRUR POLICE, TELLICHERRY, KANNUR DISTRICT AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 30-10-2026 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 376(2)(n) — Repeatedly Rape on the same woman — Discharge under Section 227 CrPC — Misconception of fact and consensual relationship — Respondent No. 2 cohabited with appellant for seven years based on an alleged marriage ceremony in Mysuru, during which physical intimacy occurred — Respondent No. 2 admitted being informed of appellant’s pre-existing marriage within months of cohabitation, yet voluntarily chose to continue the relationship — Consensual India Law Library Docid # 2457598
(4) DAMODAR VALLEY CORPORATION Vs. MAITHAN ALLOYS LIMITED AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 30-10-2026 Electricity Act, 2003 — Fourth Proviso to Section 14, Sections 61, 173 and 174 — Damodar Valley Corporation Act, 1948 (DVC Act) — Section 58 — Overriding effect and applicability of DVC Act — Fourth proviso to Section 14 of the Electricity Act, 2003 is a substantive provision that exempts Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) from obtaining a licence and explicitly preserves the continued application India Law Library Docid # 2457599
(5) GIRISHBHAI NATWARLAL PATEL Vs. GAUTAM PUNJABHAI PALKHIWALA (DEAD) BY LRS AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 30-10-2026 Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Section 96(3) read with Order 23 Rule 3 & Rule 3A — Consent decree — Maintainability of appeal and bar to suit — Rights of a stranger/non-party — Statutory bar on preferring an appeal against a consent decree under Section 96(3) CPC and the bar against filing an independent suit under Order XXIII Rule 3A CPC apply strictly to parties to the compromise agreement. A non-party/stranger to a consent decree, who asserts an independent legal right prejudicially affec India Law Library Docid # 2457600
(6) ECONOMIC TRANSPORT ORGANISATION Vs. M/S NEW INDIA ASSURANCE CO LTD[DELHI HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Consumer Protection Act, 1986 — Sections 27 and 27A — Execution proceedings — Issuance of bailable warrants — Maintainability of petition under Article 227 — National Commission issued bailable warrants against directors of petitioner for persistent non-compliance with decree and failure to produce dissolution deed — Held, orders imposing penalties under Section 27 are remedial and intended to ensure compliance with consumer forum directions — Such orders fall within the ambit of Section 27 and India Law Library Docid # 2457841
(7) OYSTER STEEL AND IRON PRIVATE LIMITED Vs. ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER CIRCLE VII GROUP 61 CENTRAL GOODS AND SERVICE TAX AUDIT I[DELHI HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 — Sections 65, 2(13), 2(94) and 29(3) — Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017 — Rules 21A and 101 — Audit of registered person — Subsequent cancellation of registration with retrospective effect — Validity of audit notice — Audit is a backward-looking exercise examining past records, returns, and statutory compliance — Term "registered person" in Section 65 cannot be restricted to currently existing registrations — Retrospective cancellation does not India Law Library Docid # 2457844
(8) MR. RANA PRATAP Vs. STATE NCT OF DELHI[DELHI HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 195(1)(a)(i) — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 186 and 34 — Cognizance of offence — Obstruction of public servant — Mandate of written complaint — Appellant contended trial court erred in taking cognizance under Section 186 IPC without a written complaint by the concerned public servant — Held, the objection under Section 195 CrPC was without merit since a written complaint was proved by the ACP — Unshaken testimonies of injured police witnesses e India Law Library Docid # 2457850
(9) VISHNU PRASAD Vs. STATE OF NCT OF DELHI[DELHI HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 — Sections 3(b), 5(m), 6, 7, 9(m) and 10 — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 376AB — Penetrative sexual assault versus sexual assault — Proof of penetration — Child victim aged below six years consistently testified to sexual touching and scratch from accused's nail, but testimony failed to prove insertion into private parts beyond reasonable doubt — Statements under Sections 161 and 164 CrPC do not constitute substantive evidence — Conviction India Law Library Docid # 2457852
(10) SHARMISHTHA Vs. THE STATE OF NCT OF DELHI[DELHI HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Separate trials of co-accused — Appreciation of evidence — Evidence recorded in a separate trial of co-accused cannot be read, considered, or relied upon in an appeal arising out of a separate trial of another accused, even if arising from the same incident — Each criminal case must be decided strictly on the evidence led within its own trial — Accused cannot substantiate defense relying upon testimony of witnesses who were examined exclusively in the separ India Law Library Docid # 2457858
(11) BALWAN SINGH Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.[DELHI HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Central Industrial Security Force Rules, 2001 — Rule 61 — Constitution of India — Article 226 — Service Law — Entitlement to House Rent Allowance (HRA) — Nature of HRA — HRA is not a concession but an essential component of total salary forming part of the conditions of service — Purpose of HRA is compensatory, intended to compensate an employee for lack of amenities provided to others — When the Force fails to provide rent-free government accommodation to an enrolled member, full HRA in lieu th India Law Library Docid # 2457861
(12) DEVDUTT AND OTHERS Vs. UNION OF INDIA[DELHI HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Railways Act, 1989 — Sections 123(c) and 124-A — Compensation — Bona fide passenger — Non-recovery of journey ticket — Effect of — Non-recovery of a journey ticket from the deceased cannot, by itself, be treated as conclusive proof that the deceased was not a bona fide passenger. The initial burden on the claimants to establish passenger status is not onerous. Once relevant facts and circumstances are deposed to on oath by the claimants, the burden shifts to the Railways to rebut the claim with India Law Library Docid # 2457865
(13) RANI DEVI Vs. UNION OF INDIA[DELHI HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Railways Act, 1989 — Section 2(29) and Section 124-A — Bona fide passenger — Absence or non-recovery of journey ticket — Effect of — Mere absence or non-recovery of a ticket from an injured passenger does not by itself negate the status of being a bona fide passenger — Claimant can discharge the initial burden by placing relevant facts and circumstances on record, including by way of an affidavit, whereupon the onus shifts to the Railways to rebut the claim — Appellant's explanation that her tic India Law Library Docid # 2457866
(14) AKSHAY ADITYA Vs. THE STATE OF NCT OF DELHI AND ANR[DELHI HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — Section 482 — Anticipatory Bail — Custodial Interrogation — Mere cooperation or joining investigation pursuant to interim orders does not foreclose the necessity of custodial interrogation nor does it automatically entitle an accused to pre-arrest bail — Anticipatory bail is an extraordinary privilege granted sparingly in exceptional cases upon proper exercise of judicial discretion — Custodial interrogation is qualitatively more elicitation-oriented th India Law Library Docid # 2457874
(15) KARTIK SAHOO Vs. THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND OTHERS[CALCUTTA HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Constitution of India — Article 226 — Religious Festivals — Permission for Shyamapuja — Petitioner obtained permission from the Irrigation Department to use land for Shyamapuja, but his application seeking police permission and posting remained unconsidered — State submitted that all puja committees must apply for permission through the designated online "SAHAJ portal" within a specified operational window — Writ petition disposed of granting liberty to petitioner to apply for requisite permissi India Law Library Docid # 2457908
(16) ROUSHAN ZAMAL Vs. STATE[CALCUTTA HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — Section 483 — Regular Bail — Prolonged incarceration and parity — Petitioner was detained in custody for about one year and eleven months for offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Information Technology Act, 2000 — Trial was ongoing with eight witnesses examined — State opposed bail citing pendency of five other cases against petitioner — Court held that considering the detention period, the time required to complete the trial, and th India Law Library Docid # 2457910
(17) ROSHAN BAKHLA Vs. ROHIT BADAIK[CHHATTISGARH HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 168 — Determination of income — Unskilled labourer — Absence of documentary proof — Appellant-claimant, engaged as a manual labourer, claimed a monthly income of Rs. 10,000/- after sustaining severe injuries in a motor accident — High Court held that in the absence of cogent evidence substantiating the claimed income, it was appropriate to adopt the prevailing unskilled minimum wage rate as per the notification issued by the Labour Commissioner — Considering th India Law Library Docid # 2457919
(18) MAHETTAR RAM SAHU AND OTHERS Vs. BOARD OF REVENUE BILASPUR CHHATTISGARH CIRCUIT COURT RAIPUR AND ANOTHER[CHHATTISGARH HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Limitation Act, 1963 — Section 5 — Condonation of delay — Interpretation of "Sufficient cause" — Liberal and justice-oriented approach — Supreme Court precedent reiterated that Section 5 must be construed in a liberal, lenient, and pragmatic manner to advance substantial justice — Requirement of explaining delay does not mandate an elaborate day-to-day explanation in a mechanical fashion — Object of the provision is to facilitate adjudication of disputes on merits rather than non-suiting litigan India Law Library Docid # 2457920
(19) M/S TEJA ELECTRICALS AND ANOTHER Vs. THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER (CONST) SOUTH EAST CENTRAL RAILWAY, BILASPUR, CHHATTISGARH AND ANOTHER[CHHATTISGARH HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 37 and Section 34 — Scope of appellate interference — Jurisdiction of an appellate court under Section 37 is co-extensive with and circumscribed by Section 34 — Appellate Court cannot re-appreciate evidence, reassess factual findings, or sit in appeal over the Arbitrator's plausible interpretation of contractual terms — Where an arbitral award has been upheld under Section 34, the appellate court must be extremely slow to disturb concurrent findin India Law Library Docid # 2457921
(20) SMT ABEDA BANO AND ANOTHER Vs. RAJESH SURANA AND OTHERS[CHHATTISGARH HIGH COURT] 30-10-2026 Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Order XXXII Rule 15 — Appointment of next friend — Requirement of mental infirmity — Mere physical disability of speech and hearing impairment does not equate to mental infirmity — Petitioner, being deaf and dumb, sought appointment of husband as next friend — Held, Order XXXII Rule 15 applies strictly to persons adjudged of unsound mind or incapable of protecting their interests by reason of mental infirmity — A physical disability alone does not render a part India Law Library Docid # 2457922