Latest from the Supreme Court

Madras HC dismissed the Tamil Nadu government's challenge to the constitutional validity of NEET. The HC held that NEET does not violate the federal structure or the State's legislative competence under Entry 25 of List III (education). The HC also rejected the argument that NEET disproportionately affects rural and Tamil-medium students, finding that the State had not produced adequate empirical data to support the discrimination claim.

Admission and reference to Constitution Bench signals a comprehensive judicial review of NEET's constitutional validity after a decade of litigation. The case will test the…

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Allahabad High CourtCivil

Allahabad HC upheld the Varanasi District Court order directing the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, including the wuzukhana area. The HC rejected the Muslim side's objection that the suit was barred by the Places of Worship Act 1991, holding that the Act does not bar ascertainment of the religious character of a place through archaeological evidence when the character itself is in dispute.

Admission with protective interim directions sets the framework for resolution of multiple pending suits challenging the religious character of historic mosques across India. The…

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Bombay High CourtEnvironment

Bombay HC vacated the stay on tree felling in Aarey Colony for the Mumbai Metro car shed project. The HC held that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority had obtained all necessary environmental clearances and that the public interest in mass rapid transit outweighed the environmental impact of felling 2,700 trees. The HC noted MMRDA's undertaking to plant three times the number of felled trees as compensatory afforestation.

Status quo order at admission stage effectively halts the metro car shed project in Aarey pending final disposal. The case tests the balance between urban infrastructure…

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Karnataka High CourtConstitutional

Karnataka HC Full Bench upheld the State Government order banning the wearing of hijab in government educational institutions. The HC held that the hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam, relying on the Shirur Mutt doctrine, and that the uniform dress code did not violate Article 25 or Article 19. The students' writ petitions were dismissed with a 3-judge majority view.

The split verdict at admission stage leaves the legal position unsettled — the hijab ban remains operative in Karnataka while the larger Bench is awaited. The case crystallises…

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Kerala High CourtConstitutional

Kerala HC Division Bench set aside the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting's order revoking MediaOne's broadcast license. The HC held that the Centre's reliance on 'national security' was not supported by material on record. The denial of security clearance by MHA was quashed for violating principles of natural justice — the channel was never shown the adverse material forming the basis of the ban.

Admission raises the fundamental question of the scope of judicial review over national security claims. Can courts examine the validity of a security clearance when the State…

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Delhi High CourtCompetition Law

NCLAT upheld the CCI's ₹1,337 crore penalty on Google for abusing its dominant position in the Android mobile ecosystem and the Play Store billing policy. NCLAT affirmed findings on mandatory pre-installation of Google apps, anti-fragmentation agreements, and denial of market access to competing UPI apps. Google was directed to deposit 10% of the penalty and comply with CCI's behavioural remedies within 30 days.

SC admission signals a comprehensive review of CCI's regulatory jurisdiction over digital platform markets. The interplay between sectoral regulation (IT Act) and competition law…

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Rajasthan High CourtFinalService Law

Rajasthan HC directed the State Government to compute pro-rata pension for an employee who had served in multiple government departments, holding that the State's refusal to aggregate service periods was arbitrary and violative of Article 14. The HC relied on the Supreme Court's judgment in KSRTC v. Mahadeva Shetty on aggregation of qualifying service.

Qualifying service across multiple government departments must be aggregated for pension computation. The State cannot arbitrarily fragment an employee's service history to deny…

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Bombay High CourtFinalTaxation Law

Bombay HC quashed the reassessment notice under Section 148 of the Income Tax Act, holding that the notice was barred by limitation. The HC held that the AO had acted on 'borrowed satisfaction' from an investigation wing note without independent application of mind, which does not satisfy the jurisdictional requirement of 'reason to believe' that income has escaped assessment.

Reassessment jurisdiction under Section 148 requires the AO to independently form a 'reason to believe' based on tangible material. 'Borrowed satisfaction' from an investigation…

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Delhi High CourtFinalTaxation Law

Delhi HC quashed the CGST demand notice issued to a proprietary concern, holding that the notice under Section 74 of the CGST Act was issued without proper formation of opinion that there was fraud or wilful misstatement. The HC held that the extended limitation period of five years cannot be invoked on mere suspicion or audit objections.

The extended five-year limitation period under Section 74 of the CGST Act cannot be invoked on mere suspicion or audit objections. The Revenue must have specific and cogent…

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Calcutta High CourtFinalConstitutional Law

Calcutta HC stayed the Election Commission's direction to the State Government regarding deployment of central forces for Assembly by-elections, holding that the EC's power under Article 324 does not extend to directing deployment without consulting the State Government on law-and-order assessment.

The Election Commission's power under Article 324 is plenary but must be exercised in consultation with the State Government on law-and-order deployment. The Supreme Court…

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Madras High CourtFinalIntellectual Property

Madras HC dismissed a contempt petition filed by a copyright holder alleging violation of an interim injunction against broadcasting certain musical works. The HC held that contempt is not maintainable without a quantified royalty determination, and that the dispute over royalty quantum must first be resolved through the Copyright Board or civil suit.

Contempt jurisdiction is not available to enforce an indeterminate monetary obligation such as unquantified royalties. The party alleging breach of an IP injunction must first…

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Orissa High CourtFinalCivil Procedure

Orissa HC dismissed the State's application for condonation of delay in filing an appeal, observing a delay of over 600 days with no satisfactory explanation. The HC held that bureaucratic delay and inter-departmental file movement do not constitute sufficient cause for condoning delay under Section 5 of the Limitation Act.

Bureaucratic delay and inter-departmental file movement do not constitute sufficient cause for condoning delay under Section 5 of the Limitation Act. Even the State cannot claim…

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Delhi High CourtFinalService Law

Delhi HC directed the Delhi Government to pay retrospective honorarium to Law Researchers attached to the High Court, holding that law researchers perform judicial functions and are entitled to fair remuneration commensurate with their work. The HC found no justification for denying honorarium for the retrospective period.

Law Researchers attached to courts perform judicial functions and are entitled to fair honorarium. Retrospective payment can be directed when the denial was without…

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Madhya Pradesh High CourtFinalCivil

MP HC refused to quash a Look Out Circular issued by Bank of Baroda; held the LOC challenge was not maintainable as a separate proceeding and ought to have been raised in the earlier writ petitions against the wilful-defaulter declaration. Nothing survived for adjudication; writ petition dismissed.

LOC challenges by alleged wilful defaulters must be clubbed with the writ petition against the wilful-defaulter declaration; separate post-facto LOC writs are not maintainable in…

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Kerala High CourtFinalCompetition Law

Kerala HC Division Bench upheld the Single Judge order refusing to interfere with CCI's prima facie direction under Section 26(1) of the Competition Act to investigate Jiostar for discriminatory pricing and abuse of dominance in the Kerala cable TV market. HC held the Competition Act is an independent special enactment that operates unhindered by the TRAI Act.

The Competition Commission of India retains independent jurisdiction to investigate anti-competitive practices even in sectors regulated by TRAI. A direction under Section 26(1)…

Kirit Singhania1 min read