Supreme Court Annual Digest 2025: Consumer Law

Consumer Disputes Redressal Forums - The Supreme Court allowed an appeal by the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) against an order of the NCDRC which had upheld the decisions of the State and District Consumer Forums directing LIC to compensate the respondent-claimants under the “Jeevan Arogya” hospital cash benefit policy. The deceased insured, a chronic alcoholic, had suppressed...

When Can Shares Received After Company Amalgamation Be Taxed As Business Income : Supreme Court Explains

The Supreme Court has ruled that shares received in a corporate amalgamation are immediately taxable as business income under Section 28 of the Income Tax Act if they represent a "real, commercially realizable benefit." “where the shares of an amalgamating company, held as stock-in-trade, are substituted by shares of the amalgamated company pursuant to a scheme of amalgamation, and such...

While Bail Is Not To Be Refused Mechanically, It Must Not Be Granted On Irrelevant Considerations: Supreme Court

The Court cancelled the bail granted in a POCSO case, noting that the gravity of the offence and threat to victim were ignored by the High Court.

Supreme Court Annual Digest 2025: Fundamental Rights & Duties

Article 12. Definition Article 12 – Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (CPC) - Section 80 – State – Notice – Held, Appellant, being a State Financial Corporation and thus a 'State' under Article 12 of Constitution was entitled to mandatory notice under Section 80 CPC - When a suit is filed against State instrumentality, the plaintiff must either issue a notice under Section 80(1) CPC...

'Harsh To Send Him To Jail At This Age' : Supreme Court Reduces Sentence Of 80-Year-Old Convicted For Homicide

The Supreme Court has reduced the sentence of a man convicted for causing the death of another person during a village clash in 1992 to the period already undergone, citing his advanced age of over 80 years.A Bench of Justices N. V. Anjaria and K. Vinod Chandran upheld the conviction of Shrikrishna under Section 304 Part II of the Indian Penal Code, but modified the sentence imposed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.BackgroundThe incident occurred on December 10, 1992, at Village...

S.138 NI Act | Multiple Complaints Can Be Filed Over Dishonour Of Several Cheques From Same Transaction : Supreme Court

Dishonour of each cheque gives rise to a separate cause of action, the Court reiterated.

S.126 Indian Contract Act | Promoter's Undertaking To Infuse Funds Won't Amount To 'Guarantee' : Supreme Court

To be construed as a guarantee, there must be a clear and direct obligation to discharge the debts of the original debtor.

Bombay HC's 'Central Warehousing' Judgment Does Not Bar Arbitration Clauses In Leave & License Agreements : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court upheld a Bombay High Court order appointing an arbitrator in a dispute arising from a leave and licence agreement for office premises of Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited at Malad, Mumbai, holding that an arbitration agreement existed between the parties.A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan held that the High Court was right in allowing...

Arbitration | Lack Of S. 21 Notice Not Fatal If Claim Is Otherwise Valid & Arbitrable : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court set aside a Kerala High Court judgment which had held that an arbitral tribunal cannot decide disputes beyond a specific issue referred to it and that a party cannot raise additional disputes without issuing a separate notice under Section 21 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.The Court set aside a judgment of the Kerala High Court and restored an arbitral award...

Supreme Court Weekly Digest December 11 - 16, 2025

Alignment of PPAs with Regulations — Held that terms and conditions of a PPA are not unregulated and must be aligned with the Regulations framed by the Appropriate Commission under the 2003 Act - Even if a PPA is amended, it must factor in the statutory definitions of "COD" and "Unit" as provided in the CERC/State Regulations - An unapproved PPA that defines COD based on...

Supreme Court Annual Digest 2025: Family Law

Alimony & Property Settlement – Held, alimony received after first divorce was not a relevant factor to determine the alimony payable after the divorce of the second marriage - The respondent's claim for Rs. 12 crores in permanent alimony and encumbrance-free ownership of the apartment as unjustified, considering that appellant-husband is an unemployed person and has responsibility...

Preventive Detention Can't Be Used To Override Bail, Must Prove 'Public Order' Threat : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday quashed the preventive detention under the Telangana 'Goonda Act', ruling that simply declaring the detenu a 'habitual drug offender' was not sufficient for preventive detention unless shown how detenu's actions specifically threatened public order. “Mere registration of three offences by itself would not have any bearing on the maintenance of public order...