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Background of the Cabinet Decision The Union Cabinet has approved a major financial relief framework for Vodafone Idea Ltd. (Vi) by freezing its Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues at ₹87,695 crore as on December 31, 2025, and allowing repayment over a 10-year period from FY 2032 to FY 2041. The decision follows Vi’s representation to the government seeking relief after a series of Supreme Court orders permitted reassessment of dues in view of public interest considerations. Government Stake and Sectoral Stability Concerns The relief package is closely tied to the government’s strategic interest in Vi, where it acquired a 49% equity stake earlier this year to prevent market concentration and safeguard competition in the telecom sector. The government emphasized that Vodafone Idea’s continued existence as a viable operator is essential to prevent a duopoly and to protect nearly 200 million (20 crore) subscribers dependent on the network. The telecom sector was described as critical nation...

Introduction In a significant judgment highlighting the importance of fair criminal adjudication and evidentiary scrutiny, the Allahabad High Court acquitted three men who had been serving life imprisonment for nearly four decades in a 1982 murder case. The Court held that the prosecution had failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt and that the trial court’s conviction rested on conjectures and misappreciation of evidence. The bench of Justice JJ Munir and Justice Sanjiv Kumar observed that the case was one of blind murder , and the crime was likely committed by someone else during the night, with the prosecution’s version contradicted by medical findings. Order Date: 18 December 2024 Background of the Case Alleged Incident (1982) According to the prosecution case: The deceased was allegedly assaulted by 11 accused persons on 8 July 1982 . It was claimed that one accused inserted a lathi into the deceased’s body. The informant (brother of the deceased) alleged that he was thr...

The Supreme Court has reiterated that suppression of criminal history while seeking bail amounts to an abuse of the legal process and is, by itself, sufficient ground for dismissal of a petition — irrespective of the merits of the case. The ruling reinforces the duty of candour expected from litigants invoking the Court’s discretionary jurisdiction. Case Background — Bail Plea Rejected for Concealment of Criminal Cases The ruling arose in Firoz @ Farhu v. State of Rajasthan , where the accused sought bail in a murder case registered under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Alok Aradhe found that: The petitioner falsely declared that he had “no antecedents”. However, the State’s counter-affidavit revealed: One earlier criminal case registered in June 2023. Another case registered in August 2024. The Special Leave Petition was filed in August 2025 despite the petitioner’s knowledge of these cases. The Court held that the concealment was deliberate ...

Case Title / Label Delhi High Court — Moin Akhtar Qureshi vs CBI Order Date — 24 December 2025 Bench — Justice Neena Bansal Krishna Issue — Whether compelling an accused to provide a voice sample violates Article 20(3) (Right Against Self-Incrimination) or Right to Privacy Background of the Case The case arose from a petition filed by businessman Moin Akhtar Qureshi , who challenged a trial court’s order directing him to provide a voice sample to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The background facts include: The Income Tax Department intercepted several calls allegedly linked to Qureshi between October 2013 and December 2013 The calls reportedly suggested he was acting as a middleman for public servants The CBI registered a case in 2017 under: Indian Penal Code Prevention of Corruption Act During investigation, the trial court ordered Qureshi to provide voice samples for comparison with intercepted conversations. Qureshi challenged the order before the Delhi High Court. Gr...

Case Background — Separation, Abuse Allegations and Maintenance Proceedings The case arose out of matrimonial conflict between a couple married in January 2014, who had three minor children — two daughters and a son. Following allegations of physical, emotional and economic abuse, the wife separated and initiated proceedings under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 seeking maintenance for the children. In December 2023, the trial court directed the father to pay ₹30,000 per month as maintenance toward the three minor children until: the domestic violence case concluded, or the children attained majority. The father challenged the order before the Sessions Court, which dismissed his appeal in March 2024. He then approached the Delhi High Court, asserting financial incapacity and inequity in the award. Husband’s Argument — Wife Earns More, Maintenance Burden Should Be Reduced Before the High Court, the husband argued that: his monthly income was only ₹9,000 , his ...

Case Background and Procedural History The Supreme Court has agreed to examine the constitutional validity of Section 60(4) of the Code on Social Security, 2020 , which restricts maternity leave for adoptive mothers only to cases where the adopted child is below three months of age. The case arises from a petition filed by Karnataka-based lawyer Hamsaanandini Nanduri , who challenged the earlier corresponding provision under Section 5(4) of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 . The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan noted that although judgment in the earlier petition had been reserved on January 29, 2025 , the Union Government subsequently notified the Social Security Code on November 21, 2025 , repealing the 1961 Act while retaining the same restrictive clause in Section 60(4). Recognising that the impugned provision had now been reenacted in the new Code, the Court permitted the petitioner to amend her challenge to include Section 60(4) of the 2020 ...

Background of the Incident The Udaipur incident involves the alleged gangrape of a female manager employed at a private IT firm. The assault reportedly took place on the night of December 20 after a birthday party organised by the company’s CEO. The survivor was allegedly drugged inside a moving car and later regained consciousness with visible injuries on her body. The police confirmed that: • The survivor’s medical examination indicated sexual assault and bodily injuries • The car dashcam allegedly recorded the incident and conversations between the accused • Certain personal belongings such as jewellery, socks, and undergarments were reported missing The case is currently being investigated under the supervision of Additional SP Madhuri Verma . Arrests and Custody of the Accused Three individuals have been arrested: CEO of the IT firm A female executive head of the company Her husband (resident of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh) They were produced before court and remanded to four-day polic...

Heading: Background of the Case The Supreme Court has clarified that the long-standing principle of presumption of innocence applies only until the conclusion of the criminal trial. Once a conviction is recorded, the presumption no longer survives, and appellate courts must exercise extreme caution while suspending sentences and granting bail pending appeal. The ruling came while setting aside orders of the Patna High Court that had suspended the life sentences of two convicts — a father-son duo — involved in the murder of a village priest inside a temple in Bihar’s Rohtas district. The Court directed both convicts to surrender within ten days. Heading: Facts of the Crime and Trial Court Findings The incident occurred on 11 December 2021 inside the Mahavir Temple. The prosecution case was that the deceased, Krishna Behari Upadhyay, a village priest, had gone to the temple with his son to perform evening rituals when a group of armed men entered the premises, accused him of political i...

The Bombay High Court has upheld the conviction and life sentence of Murgesh Pechi Muttu, a tailor, who murdered his mother-in-law Manju Swamy in 2012 using a scissor blade. The division bench of Justices Manish Pitale and Manjusha Deshpande dismissed the appeal challenging the conviction, holding that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. Case Background and Incident Narrative The incident occurred on December 19, 2012 , at a transit camp residence in Borivali, Mumbai. The deceased, Manju Swamy , intervened when the accused began assaulting his wife Asha — her daughter — shortly before Asha was to leave for her nursing shift at Arihant Hospital. During the altercation: The accused removed a sharp blade from a pair of scissors Repeatedly assaulted Swamy on the head and back Continued the attack even after she fell unconscious The victim died before reaching the hospital. The Court observed that: “The ferocity of the assault and the fact that the victim died even ...

INTRODUCTION The Jharkhand High Court has imposed a cost of ₹1,00,000 on officials of the State Water Resources Department for filing what it termed a “most bogus and frivolous” civil review petition, observing that the petition was filed with the oblique motive of delaying execution of an arbitral award payable to a Bihar-based construction company, M/s R.K. Construction Private Limited. The Court directed that the fine be paid personally by the concerned officials and deposited with the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (JHALSA). CASE BACKGROUND AND ARBITRATION AWARD The dispute arose out of civil works carried out in Jamshedpur under the Subarnarekha Multipurpose Project. The construction company was awarded approximately ₹2.5 crore through arbitration, following a dispute with the Water Resources Department over unpaid dues for executed works. After the arbitral award, the company initiated execution proceedings before the competent court to recover the awarded amount. Durin...

Background of the Case The Supreme Court has issued significant directions to all States and Union Territories, calling for a consolidated and updated compilation of minimum wage notifications. The Court observed that the lack of uniform, reliable and easily accessible minimum wage data has made adjudication in motor accident compensation cases increasingly difficult, particularly while determining notional income for victims. The directions were delivered by a Division Bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N. Kotiswar Singh while deciding an appeal arising from a 2013 motor accident case in Madhya Pradesh. Issue Before the Supreme Court The Court noted that: • Minimum wage notifications are revised periodically • Many States upload incomplete or outdated data • Courts often struggle to access the applicable wage notification • This leads to delays and inconsistent compensation awards The Bench remarked that locating correct wage rates at the time of accident has become “quite a difficult...

Background of the Case The Karnataka High Court has urged the Union Government to review the amended Section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 , as modified by the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005. The Court observed that while the amendment rightly strengthened the inheritance rights of daughters in coparcenary property, it has inadvertently created ambiguity regarding the inheritance position of widows and mothers , who were previously explicitly protected under the unamended provision. The decision was delivered by a Division Bench comprising Justice R. Devdas and Justice B. Muralidhara Pai . Issue Highlighted by the High Court The Court noted that: The unamended Section 6 expressly recognised widows and mothers at the stage of a notional partition . Their entitlement to a share in ancestral property was clearly protected. However, the amended Section 6 (post-2005) gives equal coparcenary rights to daughters, but does not explicitly refer to: • widows • mothers • widows of...

Introduction — Supreme Court Reaffirms Duty to Ensure “Just Compensation” The Supreme Court of India has reiterated that courts adjudicating land acquisition disputes must not restrict compensation merely to the amount claimed by landowners, if evidence and statutory parameters justify a higher market value. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul M. Pancholi held that land acquisition proceedings are not strictly adversarial in nature and that courts have a statutory and equitable duty to determine and award compensation in accordance with law, rather than limiting relief to what the claimant has pleaded. The Court clarified that once the correct market value of land is determined based on statutory factors, restricting compensation to a lower, claimed amount would defeat the mandate of the Land Acquisition Act. Case Background — Karnataka High Court Enhanced Value But Restricted Payable Compensation The dispute arose from land acquired for the Hirehalla Left Bank Canal P...