All news stories
Every court update, judgment report and announcement we have published, newest first.
Showing 301–350 of 353 news stories, newest first. Back to News
- Karnataka High Court quashes appointment of Special Public Prosecutor sought by complainant
News · 13 Aug 2026
The Karnataka High Court has held that while the State may on its own appoint a Special Public Prosecutor where a case requires special knowledge, it cannot appoint one at the specific request of the complainant, as this offends the principle of fairness required in a criminal trial. The Court accordingly quashed a State Government notification. The decision is reported as 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 290. The ruling reinforces a structural principle that is often overlooked in practice: the Public Prosecutor is an officer of the court with a duty to place the whole truth before it, not counsel for the complainant. Where the complainant selects and effectively procures the appointment of the prosecutor, that independence is compromised at the outset, regardless of the appointee's competence. The judgment gives accused persons a concrete ground to challenge SPP appointments in high-profile prosecutions, and it should prompt State law departments to document the independent basis on which any SPP notification is issued. Counsel challenging such an appointment should seek the file to establish whether the initiative came from the complainant.
- Karnataka High Court: police can freeze a bank account in cybercrime probe without Magistrate's approval
News · 13 Aug 2026
The Karnataka High Court has held that police need not obtain prior approval from a Magistrate to impose a debit freeze on a bank account during investigation, where the freeze is imposed as an investigative and preservative measure under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Justice M. Nagaprasanna delivered the ruling, reported as 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 287. The Court noted the speed at which money moves in cybercrime cases. The decision matters to two constituencies. For complainants in cyber fraud matters, it confirms that the investigating officer can act immediately to preserve funds in mule accounts, where delay of even hours defeats recovery. For account holders whose accounts are frozen — often innocent third parties whose accounts received tainted funds — it closes off the argument that the freeze is void for want of prior judicial sanction. The remedy shifts to challenging the freeze on its own merits: absence of nexus between the account and the alleged offence, disproportionate scope of the freeze relative to the disputed sum, and unreasonable duration. Applications for defreezing should therefore be framed on proportionality and on the absence of continuing investigative necessity.
- Departmental enquiry required before dismissing employee for concealing criminal case
News · 13 Aug 2026
The Supreme Court held on 12 August 2026 that an enquiry is necessary before dismissing an employee for suppression of criminal antecedents. livelaw The ruling has broad application across public employment. Employers have frequently treated suppression in the attestation form as a self-evident ground for termination, dispensing with enquiry on the footing that the fact of non-disclosure is admitted and no dispute of fact survives. The Court has rejected that shortcut. An enquiry is required because several matters bear on the appropriate consequence: the nature and gravity of the concealed case, whether it ended in acquittal or discharge, the age of the employee at the time, the length of service since appointment, and whether the concealment was deliberate or attributable to a misunderstanding of the form. For advocates handling service matters, this supplies a clean ground of challenge to any termination effected on the administrative side without charge sheet, enquiry officer and opportunity of hearing.
- 'Just Because She Is Muslim, You Cannot Call Her Pakistani': Karnataka High Court Raps BJP MLC
News · 8 Aug 2026
The Karnataka High Court on Friday, 7 August 2026, pulled up BJP MLC N. Ravikumar over an alleged communal remark against Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum, in which he is said to have described the senior IAS officer as being "from Pakistan" during a protest. The Court observed sharply that it would not pardon a statement made against a serving IAS officer of the State merely because she is a Muslim, and questioned the MLC directly on the statement attributed to him. The exchange is notable for the Court's willingness to record oral disapproval of communal characterisation of a public servant, independent of the outcome of the proceedings. For practitioners, the matter sits at the intersection of two areas that increasingly reach the writ court: criminal proceedings arising from political speech, and the constitutional protection available to civil servants against targeted vilification. The case is worth following for what it may establish on the threshold at which political rhetoric attracts judicial censure and on the standards courts apply when a quashing petition is sought in respect of such speech.
- Karnataka High Court Creates a New Case Category for Benami Property Act Appeals
News · 8 Aug 2026
The Karnataka High Court has issued a circular introducing a new nomenclature for appeals filed under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988. By a circular dated 27 July, the Chief Justice has directed that appeals under Section 49 of the Act, filed against orders of the Appellate Tribunal, shall be listed before the respective Division Bench having the roster of MSA matters, and that such appeals be given the newly assigned category. This is a filing-side change every property and tax litigator in the State needs to register immediately. Until now, Section 49 appeals had no dedicated category, causing registry objections, misclassification and listing before the wrong roster. The circular fixes the destination bench and the nomenclature, which should reduce delay at the numbering stage. Practitioners should update their filing checklists, ensure the correct category is cited in the memorandum of appeal, and note that Section 49 appeals lie on a question of law within sixty days of communication of the Tribunal's order, with the High Court empowered to condone delay on sufficient cause.
- KPSC Recruitment Scam: Karnataka High Court Restrains Filing of Final Report
News · 8 Aug 2026
The Karnataka High Court on Friday, 7 August 2026, restrained the investigating agencies — the jurisdictional police and the CID — from filing the final report in any of the connected cases relating to the alleged Karnataka Public Service Commission recruitment scam without prior permission of the Court. The Court was hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by a BJP MLA, and the State assured that no coercive action would be taken against successful candidates. The order is significant on two counts. First, it is an instance of the High Court exercising supervisory control over the timing of a final report under the BNSS — a power used sparingly, and generally where the investigation itself is under challenge or where multiple connected proceedings risk inconsistent outcomes. Second, the State's assurance protecting selected candidates preserves the position of persons who are not accused but whose appointments are collaterally affected. Advocates handling recruitment and service matters in Karnataka should note the order's effect on parallel service litigation, since any final report would otherwise have triggered a fresh round of challenges to the select list.
- Supreme Court Suggests Uniform National Policy on Compulsory Rural Service by Medical Students
News · 8 Aug 2026
The Supreme Court on Friday suggested that there should be a uniform policy on compulsory rural service to be rendered by medical students, with the Solicitor General agreeing to obtain instructions from the Centre on a pan-India policy. A bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe was hearing a writ petition challenging a Karnataka Government notification requiring medical students to complete one year of compulsory public rural service. The matter carries direct significance for Karnataka. Compulsory rural service bonds have been a recurring subject of litigation before the Karnataka High Court, with challenges typically framed on grounds of arbitrariness under Article 14, the reasonableness of the bond amount, the absence of posting within the stipulated period, and the effect on postgraduate admissions. A uniform central policy, if it emerges, would displace the present patchwork of divergent state schemes, differing bond values and inconsistent enforcement. Counsel advising medical students, and institutions litigating bond recovery, should track the Centre's response closely, since any national framework will alter the basis on which existing state notifications are defended and challenged.
- Preventive Detention: Failure to Inform the Detenu of the Right to Represent Is Fatal, Supreme Court
News · 8 Aug 2026
The Supreme Court has held that a preventive detention order is rendered illegal where the detaining authority fails to inform the detenu of his right to make a representation before it, and that this defect is not cured even if the detenu independently submits such a representation. A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta set aside a detention ordered under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988, on finding that the detaining authority had not informed the detenu of that right. The ruling reinforces the settled position that Article 22(5) imposes twin obligations — communication of the grounds of detention and a real opportunity to represent against them — and that the second obligation carries an affirmative duty on the authority to inform the detenu where the representation may be made. The Court's refusal to treat an independently filed representation as curing the omission is significant: it removes the argument, commonly advanced by the State, that no prejudice was caused because the detenu in fact represented. For counsel handling habeas corpus petitions under COFEPOSA, the NSA and state preventive detention laws, this is a direct and readily pleadable ground.
- Mere Marking of a Document as an Exhibit Is Not Proof of Its Contents: Supreme Court
News · 8 Aug 2026
The Supreme Court on Friday, 7 August 2026, held that objections to the admissibility of a document that is prima facie relevant to the adjudication of a suit cannot ordinarily be decided at the threshold merely because the document has been exhibited. The Court clarified that exhibition of a document at the initial stage of trial does not amount to proof of its contents, and that exhibited documents must still be proved in accordance with law. The ruling was delivered by a bench led by Justice Sanjay Karol. livelaw The decision has immediate consequences for trial practice. Advocates frequently treat the marking of an exhibit as settling the matter, and objections raised at the time of marking are often deferred by trial courts. The judgment confirms that deferral is the correct course where the document is prima facie relevant, and that the party relying on the document continues to bear the burden of proving execution, authorship and contents through admissible evidence. For the opposing party, the practical lesson is to record the objection at the time of marking, press it at the stage of arguments, and not assume that exhibition has foreclosed the challenge. Practitioners in title suits, cheque dishonour trials and commercial disputes should revisit their evidence checklists in light of this ruling.
- Karnataka HC Fines Man Linked To Christian Missionary Group ₹1 Lakh For Asking CJI To Change ED Officer Probing Him
News · 6 Aug 2026
The Karnataka High Court imposed costs of ₹1 lakh on a man linked to a Christian missionary organisation, in a case connected to alleged Naxal-funding allegations, for approaching the Chief Justice of India seeking replacement of the ED officer investigating him. The Court treated the request as an improper attempt to influence the choice of investigating officer and penalised it accordingly — a useful caution for litigants and counsel considering similar administrative representations against investigating officers.
- 'In Public Interest': Karnataka HC Upholds Fire NOC Mandate For Firecracker Traders Even Without Express Statutory Provision
News · 6 Aug 2026
The Karnataka High Court upheld a Fire Department No-Objection Certificate requirement for firecracker traders as a valid public-safety measure, even in the absence of an express statutory provision mandating it, holding that such a requirement can be sustained in the public interest. The ruling is relevant to licensing and regulatory-compliance counsel advising traders and local authorities ahead of the festive cracker-selling season.
- Cheque Bounce: Karnataka HC Refuses Fresh Trial For Convict Who Skipped Cross-Examination 12 Times, Imposes ₹1 Lakh Costs
News · 6 Aug 2026
The Karnataka High Court declined to order a fresh trial for a cheque-dishonour convict who had repeatedly failed to appear for cross-examination of the complainant across twelve scheduled hearings, imposing costs of ₹1 lakh for the delay tactics. The ruling signals judicial impatience with deliberate procedural stalling in high-volume Section 138 NI Act litigation and is a useful precedent for complainants facing similar delay tactics from accused persons.
- SC Refuses To Entertain Plea Against SCBA Resolution Supporting Sonam Wangchuk, Allows Petitioner To Use SCBA's Internal Process
News · 6 Aug 2026
The Supreme Court declined to entertain a petition challenging a Supreme Court Bar Association resolution expressing support for activist Sonam Wangchuk, holding that any grievance with the resolution should be pursued through the SCBA's own internal procedures rather than by direct court intervention. The order reinforces the principle that internal bar-body governance disputes are generally not matters for constitutional writ jurisdiction, relevant to advocates involved in SCBA and State Bar Council governance matters.
- Shiv Sena Symbol Dispute: SC Begins Hearing Uddhav Faction's 10th Schedule Disqualification Plea
News · 6 Aug 2026
The Supreme Court, in a Bench led by CJI Surya Kant, began hearing the 2024 petition filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction challenging the Maharashtra Speaker's refusal to disqualify Eknath Shinde-faction MLAs under the Tenth Schedule, alongside a connected challenge to the Election Commission's recognition of the Shinde faction as the official Shiv Sena. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal opened arguments tracing the party's constitutional history and disputed communications with the ECI. No final order has been passed; the hearing continues. This remains one of India's most closely watched anti-defection and political-party-recognition disputes.
- States Cannot Cite Financial Burden To Oppose Raising Judicial Officers' Retirement Age: Supreme Court
News · 6 Aug 2026
The Supreme Court held that state governments cannot rely on financial constraints as a ground to resist raising the retirement age of judicial officers, reinforcing that fiscal considerations cannot override the judiciary's service-condition needs. The ruling strengthens the judiciary's position in ongoing service-law disputes with states over subordinate judicial officers' terms of service, an issue with direct consequences for judicial staffing, pendency, and the working conditions of thousands of judicial officers nationwide.
- Failure To Add Company As Accused In Cheque Dishonour Case Can't Be Cured By Summoning It Under S.319 CrPC: SC
News · 6 Aug 2026
The Supreme Court held that failing to arraign a company as an accused in a Section 138 NI Act cheque-dishonour complaint is a fatal defect that cannot later be cured by summoning the company as an additional accused under Section 319 CrPC once trial has begun. Relying on Aneeta Hada v. Godfather Travels, the Court held that prosecuting a company is a mandatory precondition for fastening vicarious liability on its directors under Section 141, and that allowing later addition would improperly let a complainant sidestep the limitation period. The Court quashed the complaint against the director, calling the High Court's contrary direction an excess of jurisdiction. Given cheque-bounce cases are India's largest litigation category, this is a highly consequential precedent on drafting complaints correctly from the outset.
- Karnataka HC Stays SIT Probe Into Land Encroachment Allegations Against Trust Linked To Art Of Living Foundation
News · 5 Aug 2026
The Karnataka High Court stayed a July 17 Government Order constituting a Special Investigation Team against Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth Trust, linked to Sri Sri Ravishankar's Art of Living Foundation, over alleged encroachment of government land in Bengaluru South Taluk. The single judge found the State had prima facie failed to follow the mandatory joint-survey procedure under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 before ordering an SIT probe, and issued notice while keeping the stay in place until the next hearing on August 17. The order is a useful precedent on the procedural safeguards required before initiating encroachment action against private landholders.
- NEET-PG 2025 Cut-Off Reduction: Centre Tells SC Expert Committee Formed To Examine Issue
News · 5 Aug 2026
Hearing challenges concerning the reduction of the NEET-PG 2025 qualifying cut-off, the Centre informed the Supreme Court that an expert committee has been constituted to examine the issue. The update came amid continuing litigation over medical postgraduate admission standards, a matter of significant concern for the large pool of NEET-PG aspirants and medical colleges awaiting clarity on the applicable cut-off for the admission cycle.
- Solid Waste Management Rules 2026: SC Directs Centre To Frame Guidelines On Environmental Compensation
News · 5 Aug 2026
The Supreme Court directed the Central Government to frame guidelines on environmental compensation under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, as part of its ongoing supervision of municipal solid waste and pollution-control compliance nationwide. The direction adds a compensation framework to the existing regulatory structure governing local bodies' waste-management obligations, relevant to environmental and municipal-law practitioners tracking enforcement mechanisms under the Rules.
- Mere Breach Of Contract Not Cheating Unless Fraudulent Intention Existed From The Beginning: SC Quashes Criminal Case
News · 5 Aug 2026
The Supreme Court quashed cheating and criminal breach of trust proceedings against two landowners in a failed Chennai joint-development project, holding that dishonest intent must exist at the very inception of a transaction for Section 420 IPC to apply, and reiterating that cheating and criminal breach of trust cannot ordinarily coexist on the same facts. The Bench found the developer's own failure to secure planning permission caused the project's collapse, not fraud, and that the parties had already pursued arbitration over the same dispute. The ruling is a fresh, citable precedent for quashing petitions in commercial disputes given a criminal colour.
- Digital Arrest Scams: SC Directs RBI SOP, State Cyber Coordination Centres, And A Victim Compensation Framework
News · 5 Aug 2026
In suo motu proceedings on digital arrest scams, a Bench led by CJI Surya Kant directed the RBI to adopt within four weeks a Standard Operating Procedure for banks covering account freezes, grievance redressal, and money restoration, and directed all States and UTs to operationalise State Cyber Crime Coordination Centres and adopt e-Zero FIRs within the same period. The Court noted ₹18.05 crore had already been restored across 36,290 cases, and directed an inter-departmental committee to examine a shared-liability victim compensation framework and a lower CBI monetary threshold for taking over cyber fraud investigations. The matter returns in September.
- Supreme Court Directs Increase Of Third-Party Vehicle Insurance; Flags 56% Of Vehicles On Indian Roads As Uninsured
News · 5 Aug 2026
Deciding a motor accident compensation appeal, the Supreme Court directed that mandatory third-party insurance be increased from three to four years for new cars and from five to six years for new two-wheelers, overriding IRDA and General Insurance Council objections. The bench directed integration of ANPR highway cameras with the Insurance Information Bureau and VAHAN databases, suggested linking fuel supply at petrol pumps to valid insurance status, and directed police be equipped with handheld apps to verify insurance and issue on-the-spot challans. The Court cited Parliamentary data showing roughly 16.54 crore of India's 30.48 crore vehicles are uninsured, and over 4.87 lakh road accidents in 2024, calling mandatory insurance essential to sparing accident victims prolonged litigation.
- Karnataka HC Stays FIRs Against Bengaluru Doctor, Questions Police Over Cases Filed On Report Of Illegal Immigrants
News · 30 Jul 2026
The Karnataka High Court stayed further investigation in two FIRs filed against a Bengaluru doctor after he alerted authorities to suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the city, with the Court questioning why police had proceeded against the complainant rather than acting on his information. The single judge remarked that the police response undermined national security concerns rather than addressing them. The order is relevant to criminal-defence and civil-liberties counsel handling retaliatory-FIR situations against citizens who report matters to authorities.
- Karnataka HC Bars State From Dispossessing HMT Of Jalahalli Land; Restrains Felling Of Trees
News · 30 Jul 2026
The Karnataka High Court restrained the state government from dispossessing HMT Limited of its Jalahalli land in Bengaluru and barred the felling of trees or creation of third-party rights over the property, while hearing HMT's challenge to a Deputy Conservator of Forests order directing it to hand over 430 acres and 21 guntas within 30 days. The interim order preserves the status quo in a high-value PSU land dispute with forest-law implications, relevant to counsel handling government land-transfer and forest-clearance disputes.
- Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor May Be One Of The Biggest Scams In The State: Karnataka HC
News · 30 Jul 2026
Dismissing a batch of appeals filed by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) and the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board, a Division Bench remarked that the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor Project may be "one of the biggest scams" in the state, finding farmers had effectively been dispossessed of land without due process. The strongly-worded ruling revives scrutiny of one of Karnataka's oldest and most litigated infrastructure projects. It is significant for land-acquisition, infrastructure, and public-interest lawyers tracking accountability for large PPP land deals gone wrong.
- O VII R7 CPC | Lesser Relief Can Be Decreed, But Not A Totally Different Claim: SC Declines Partition In Title Suit
News · 30 Jul 2026
Ruling in a property dispute, the Supreme Court held that under Order VII Rule 7 CPC a court may grant a lesser relief than what is specifically prayed for, but cannot grant a totally different relief not founded on the pleadings. Declining a request to convert a title suit into a partition decree, the Court reaffirmed that relief must remain anchored to the case actually pleaded, even where the evidence might support something broader. The ruling is a useful, frequently-relevant precedent for civil litigators drafting plaints and assessing what relief a court can realistically mould at the final-argument stage.
- Rs 8 Lakh Annual Income Limit For EWS Quota Prima Facie Reasonable, Says Supreme Court
News · 30 Jul 2026
Hearing petitions challenging the National Testing Agency's 2021 notification on OBC and EWS quotas for medical admissions, the Supreme Court orally remarked that the Rs 8 lakh annual income limit for EWS reservation was prima facie reasonable. The bench was hearing long-pending petitions filed in 2021, building on the Court's 2022 Janhit Abhiyan ruling upholding the 103rd Constitutional Amendment's EWS quota. While only an oral observation at this stage, it signals the likely direction of a ruling with direct consequences for reservation policy and education-law practitioners.
- National Commission For Scheduled Castes Cannot Pass Binding Orders In Service Disputes; Role Only Advisory: SC
News · 30 Jul 2026
The Supreme Court held that the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has no power to pass binding orders in service disputes, its role being purely recommendatory rather than adjudicatory. Ruling in a dispute involving the Mumbai Port Authority, the Court held that a 2006 notification requiring prior "employment consultation" could not have been overridden through an administrative order, and clarified the Commission's advisory limits. The judgment is significant for service-law practitioners and public employers who regularly field Commission directions, clarifying which of those directions actually carry legal force.
- Supreme Court Grants Bail To Two UAPA Accused In Jail For 12 Years, Says Slow Trial Violated Article 21
News · 30 Jul 2026
The Supreme Court granted bail to two UAPA accused, Mohd. Saquib Ansari and Waqar Azhar, holding that their continued incarceration for nearly 12 years with no realistic prospect of trial conclusion violated their fundamental right to personal liberty under Article 21. The bench treated prolonged pre-trial detention as itself a constitutional harm, independent of the merits of the underlying charges. The ruling gives criminal defence counsel a strong, recent precedent for seeking bail in UAPA and other stringent-bail-law matters where trials have stalled for years.
- Supreme Court Sets Aside Trial Court's Order Summoning Ex-PM Manmohan Singh In Coal Block Case, Accepts CBI Clean Chit
News · 30 Jul 2026
The Supreme Court quashed a 2015 Special CBI Court order summoning former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in a coal block allocation case, holding the trial court had no justification to reject the CBI's closure report and take cognizance against him. Though Singh passed away in December 2024, the Court examined the order's legality because it carried adverse observations against him, ultimately accepting the CBI's clean chit and closing proceedings. The ruling reinforces settled principles on when a magistrate may depart from an investigating agency's closure report, a recurring and consequential question in criminal practice nationwide.
- Is It Cruelty Under Section 498A If Mother-In-Law Asks Woman To Make Dosa Or Ragi Mudde? Karnataka HC Asks
News · 29 Jul 2026
Hearing a matrimonial cruelty case, the Karnataka High Court expressed reservations about allegations that a woman was subjected to cruelty by being asked to prepare dosas and ragi mudde, being made to eat after her husband, and other similar claims. Justice M Nagaprasanna's remarks signal judicial scrutiny of what actually meets the threshold for "cruelty" in matrimonial cases, as opposed to ordinary domestic friction. While the matter remains pending, the observations are being closely discussed among matrimonial and criminal-defence practitioners for what they suggest about triviality-screening in Section 498A-type complaints.
- Pending Probe Into Pharma Firm's COVID Sanitizer Supply Can't Justify Withholding Payment For Undisputed Drug Supplies: Karnataka HC
News · 29 Jul 2026
The Karnataka High Court directed the State Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (KSMSCL) to release part-payment of Rs 1.5 crore to a pharmaceutical firm for undisputed COVID-19 drug supplies, holding that a pending probe into separate, disputed sanitizer-supply irregularities cannot justify withholding payment for supplies that are not themselves in question. The balance payment remains subject to the outcome of the inquiry. The ruling is a useful precedent for government-contract and public-procurement counsel on separating undisputed dues from amounts genuinely under investigation.
- Now Uber Moves Karnataka High Court Challenging State's Gig Workers Welfare Act, Notice Issued
News · 29 Jul 2026
The Karnataka High Court issued notice on a petition by Uber India Systems challenging the constitutional validity of the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025 and its Rules, extending Uber the benefit of an earlier interim arrangement granted to other aggregators in a related challenge. Uber joins Swiggy, Zomato and others already contesting the law before the same court. The case is significant for labour and platform-economy lawyers, testing the constitutional limits of India's first dedicated gig-worker welfare statute and its financial obligations on aggregator platforms.
- 'No Coercive Steps' Means No Arrest, Not Stay On Probe: Karnataka HC Rejects Challenge To ED's Provisional Attachment Order
News · 29 Jul 2026
The Karnataka High Court held that judicial orders restraining "coercive steps" are confined to protecting personal liberty and do not suspend the Enforcement Directorate's statutory power to provisionally attach property under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Rejecting a challenge to an ED attachment order, the single judge clarified that such protective orders insulate a person from arrest but do not freeze the broader investigative or attachment process. The ruling gives PMLA practitioners a clearer boundary on what "no coercive steps" protection actually covers when property attachment is separately contested.
- Supreme court Seeks Compliance Reports From 5 High Courts On Dashboards For Unclaimed Motor Accident & Labour Court Sums
News · 29 Jul 2026
Continuing supervision of its earlier directions on unclaimed compensation, the Supreme Court directed the Registrar Generals of the Delhi, Allahabad, Madras, Meghalaya and Telangana High Courts to file compliance reports on creating live dashboards tracking amounts deposited in courts under the Motor Vehicles Act and Workmen's Compensation Act. The directions trace back to an April 2025 order, prompted by a retired judge's letter flagging huge unclaimed compensation sums, requiring such amounts to be credited directly to claimants' bank accounts. The order keeps pressure on High Courts to operationalise transparency measures benefiting accident and labour-claim beneficiaries nationwide.
- GST | Input Tax Credit Available To Buyer Only If Supplier Paid Tax: SC Upholds Validity Of S.16(2)(c) CGST Act
News · 29 Jul 2026
The Supreme Court affirmed a Gujarat High Court ruling upholding the constitutional validity of Section 16(2)(c) of the CGST Act, which denies Input Tax Credit to a buyer if the supplier has not actually deposited the collected tax with the government. Dismissing a batch of petitions calling the provision arbitrary and violative of Articles 14, 19(1)(g), 265 and 300A, the bench held ITC is a statutory concession, not a vested right, and that the recovery mechanism against defaulting suppliers does not make the provision unconstitutional. The Court still urged the government to build a real-time supplier-payment tracking system to protect bona fide buyers.
- Supreme Court Rejects Plea Seeking Mechanism For Urgent Hearings Beyond Regular Court Hours
News · 29 Jul 2026
The Supreme Court declined to entertain a petition seeking a formal institutional mechanism for urgent hearing of life-and-liberty matters outside regular court hours, holding that the existing framework — including e-filing and video-conferencing access — already adequately addresses such grievances. The bench found no gap in the current procedural architecture that would justify judicially mandating a new after-hours hearing mechanism. While procedural rather than substantive, the order is relevant for litigators assessing what emergency-access options genuinely exist before the Court and confirms the Court sees the present system as sufficient.
- S.457 CrPC | Registration Certificate Alone Not Sole Factor For Interim Release Of Seized Vehicles: Supreme Court
News · 29 Jul 2026
Ruling in a dispute over interim custody of a seized vehicle, the Supreme Court held that a registration certificate alone cannot be the determinative factor in deciding who is entitled to interim release of the vehicle under Section 457 CrPC. Courts must weigh the totality of circumstances — including the nature of the offence and competing claims of ownership or possession — rather than mechanically releasing the vehicle to whoever holds the registration papers. The ruling is a practical, frequently-relevant precedent for criminal lawyers handling the very common category of vehicle-seizure and interim-custody applications before magistrates.
- Evidence Act | Section 27 Recoveries Alone Can't Sustain Conviction: SC Restores Acquittal In 1988 Murder Case
News · 29 Jul 2026
The Supreme Court restored an acquittal in a 1988 murder case, holding that recoveries made pursuant to a disclosure statement under Section 27 of the Evidence Act cannot, by themselves, sustain a conviction without independent corroborating evidence linking the accused to the crime. The ruling reinforces long-settled but frequently contested limits on how far "discovery" evidence can carry a prosecution's case, particularly in matters resting heavily on circumstantial recoveries. For criminal defence counsel, the judgment is a fresh, citable reaffirmation to challenge convictions built primarily on Section 27 recoveries unsupported by other cogent evidence.
- Karnataka High Court Refuses To Quash FIR Against Ex-KPSC Chief's Daughter Over Reservation Claim
News · 28 Jul 2026
The Karnataka High Court declined to entertain a petition by the daughter of a suspended Karnataka Public Service Commission chairman seeking to quash an FIR accusing her of falsely declaring her family's annual income to claim reservation benefits meant for economically weaker sections in a recruitment process. The court found the allegations disclosed a prima facie case of fraud and voiced concern over recurring controversies in KPSC-run recruitments. Though fact-specific, the order signals judicial willingness to scrutinise reservation-benefit claims made by relatives of public officials, and may affect ongoing recruitment-integrity litigation and disciplinary proceedings connected to the Commission.
- Karnataka High Court: Seeking Police Aid To Enforce Injunction Not Barred By Res Judicata
News · 28 Jul 2026
The Karnataka High Court held that seeking police assistance to enforce an interim injunction is a continuing procedural remedy, and that such an application cannot be barred by the doctrine of res judicata merely because earlier applications for police protection were filed and disposed of. The ruling clarifies that repeated requests for police aid to implement the same injunction do not amount to relitigating a settled issue, since the need for enforcement can recur over time. The decision is a practical procedural tool for civil litigators and property-dispute lawyers seeking to keep injunctions effective on the ground.
- Karnataka High Court: Bank Can't Deny Education Loan Over Parent's Poor CIBIL Score Alone
News · 28 Jul 2026
The Karnataka High Court quashed a bank's rejection of a student's education-loan application, holding that a parent's poor CIBIL score alone cannot be used to deny a loan where doing so would impede the student's constitutional right to pursue education. The court found a CIBIL score to be only one factor among several relevant to creditworthiness, and not a blanket disqualifier when weighed against the student's aspirations. The order requires the bank to reconsider the loan and is likely to be cited by education and consumer-rights lawyers challenging similar loan denials by public-sector and cooperative banks across the state.
- Karnataka High Court Hears PIL Alleging 67 Lakh Voters Face SIR Deletion Without Notice
News · 28 Jul 2026
The Karnataka High Court heard a public interest litigation challenging the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state, on the allegation that nearly 67 lakh voters face exclusion from the rolls without notice or an opportunity to be heard. The division bench sought clarification on how the state's exercise aligns with the Supreme Court's own directions governing the SIR process. The case carries major consequences for election lawyers and litigants across Karnataka ahead of prospective elections, since a flawed roll-revision process could disenfranchise a large section of the electorate and invite further constitutional challenge.
- SC Issues Contempt Notices To 15 States Over Manual Scavenging Deaths
News · 28 Jul 2026
In a long-running public interest litigation on eradicating manual scavenging, the Supreme Court issued contempt notices to the Chief Secretaries of fifteen states, including Karnataka, over continued non-compliance with the Court's earlier directions, directing them to file affidavits within four weeks explaining why contempt proceedings should not be initiated. The Court had earlier banned manual scavenging and sewer cleaning in metropolitan cities and enhanced compensation for sewer deaths. The fresh notices put state governments' top bureaucrats on personal notice for continuing sewage-related worker deaths, a significant development for sanitation-worker rights and public-interest litigators tracking compliance across the country.
- IBC Moratorium On Company Doesn't Shield Its Promoters From Consumer Complaints
News · 28 Jul 2026
The Supreme Court held that a moratorium under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, operating against a real-estate development company does not bar consumer complaints from proceeding against that company's promoters and directors in their individual capacity. The bench clarified that the moratorium's protection is confined to the corporate debtor undergoing insolvency resolution and does not extend to persons who are not themselves subject to the moratorium. The ruling gives homebuyers and other consumers a continuing route to pursue promoters and directors personally even while the underlying company remains in insolvency proceedings, a recurring issue for consumer-forum lawyers handling stalled projects nationwide.
- Confirmed Government Employees Can't Be Sacked Without Inquiry Over Past Appointment Flaws
News · 28 Jul 2026
The Supreme Court held that a public servant whose appointment has been confirmed cannot be terminated merely on the ground that the original recruitment process was allegedly illegal, without first holding a proper disciplinary inquiry under Article 311(2) of the Constitution. The ruling arose from a service dispute and reinforces that confirmed government employees retain the constitutional safeguard against removal without notice and a hearing, even where questions are later raised about the legality of their initial appointment. The decision stops government departments from using appointment irregularities as a shortcut to bypass due-process protections for millions of confirmed employees across central and state services.
- SC Clarifies Police Custody Timing And Advocate's Interrogation Rights Under BNSS
News · 28 Jul 2026
Ruling in a custodial-death investigation from Andhra Pradesh, the Supreme Court held that police custody under Section 187(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 need not be confined to the first fifteen days of remand and can be sought in parts, in aggregate not exceeding fifteen days, across the permissible detention period. The same bench also held that Section 38 BNSS, which entitles an arrested person to meet an advocate of choice, does not require the advocate's continuous physical presence throughout interrogation, and set aside a High Court condition requiring such presence. The dual ruling reshapes custodial-interrogation practice for defence lawyers and investigators under the new criminal codes.
- SC Issues Notice On Plea Challenging Anti-Defection Law's 'Merger' Loophole
News · 28 Jul 2026
The Supreme Court issued notice to the Union Government on a writ petition filed by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing as a party-in-person, challenging the interpretation of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution that lets legislators escape disqualification under the anti-defection law by routing a defection through a political-party merger. The petition argues this interpretation can turn an electoral majority into a minority verdict through post-election mergers, citing an ongoing Goa dispute. The bench sought the Centre's response without granting interim relief. The case could reshape how election and constitutional lawyers argue future anti-defection disputes nationwide.
- Supreme Court hears pleas alleging police excesses against NEET protesters
News · 27 Jul 2026
The Supreme Court is hearing two pleas alleging police excesses against students protesting over the NEET paper leak and exam irregularities, before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. The lead petition (Shailendra Mani Tripathi v. Union of India, Diary no. 44078/2026) arises from the march towards Parliament, alleging tear gas, baton charges, mass detentions, gender-based misconduct, plainclothes personnel, and roughly 60 injured protesters. It also challenges repeated prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS and seeks implementation of police reforms. Highest mass-impact story of the window.
- Supreme Court bans uploading and sharing court hearing recordings without prior permission
News · 27 Jul 2026
The Supreme Court has barred the uploading and sharing of audio-video recordings of court hearings without prior permission. This is the single most operationally significant item for advocates in the window. It directly affects social-media clipping of proceedings, legal-content creators, litigation PR, and any legal-tech product ingesting or redistributing hearing media. Advocates who routinely circulate courtroom clips on WhatsApp or X now face a compliance question. Expect Bar Council and High Court follow-on circulars. Article angle: what "prior permission" means procedurally, who grants it, and what the exposure is for advocates and platforms already hosting such recordings.