Constitutional Law

The Supreme Court has held that injuries caused by a tree branch falling on a stationary autorickshaw during heavy rain do not arise out of the use of a motor vehicle, and a claim for such injuries is therefore not maintainable under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. At the same time, the Court invoked its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice and enhanced the compensation payable to the injured claimant from Rs 17.10 lakh to Rs 25 lak

The Supreme Court of India has held that the loss of a homemaker's domestic care must be treated as a distinct head of compensation in motor accident claims, and has fixed a notional monthly income of Rs 30,000 for assessing that loss. The judgment, delivered on June 11, 2026 by a bench of Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice N Kotiswar Singh, describes homemakers as nation builders whose unpaid work has real and measurable economic value. The ruling will directly shape how Motor

The Delhi High Court has ordered the removal of social media posts targeting a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court following the May 30, 2026 building collapse in Saket, Delhi, which killed six people. The order came after the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) filed a criminal contempt petition against Dr Kapil Kakar, who had posted videos on social media making allegations against the judge. The case raises important questions about the boundaries of free speech whe

The Bombay Bar Association has passed a resolution condemning the threats and intimidation directed at retired Justice Gautam Patel of the Bombay High Court following his April 23, 2024 judgment recognising Mufaddal Saifuddin as the 53rd Dai al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra community. The threats have persisted for over 10 months and escalated to physical violence against the judge's family, raising grave concerns about judicial independence and the safety of those who serve on

On 29 May 2026, the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment in Prajwala v. Union of India (2026 INSC 609), issuing a comprehensive Victim Protection Plan for survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. The bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan designed the framework to cover every stage from pre-rescue intelligence to post-rehabilitation reintegration, anchoring it firmly in the constitutional guarantee of life and dignit

The Supreme Court has stayed the deportation of four women in Assam who were declared foreigners by Foreigners Tribunals and were lodged in detention, granting them interim protection and ordering that status quo be maintained. The order, passed in early June 2026, came on petitions challenging the manner in which the Tribunals appreciated evidence of lineage and citizenship. The case raises questions that go to the core of constitutional protection: how documentary records o

The Supreme Court has upheld state laws banning online money gaming, holding that legislation prohibiting online games played for stakes is traceable to the public order entry of the State List under the Constitution. In State of Tamil Nadu v Junglee Games India Pvt Ltd, 2026 INSC 594, decided on May 27, 2026, a bench of Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan upheld laws enacted by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka that prohibit online games such as rummy, poker, and fantasy sp

The Kerala High Court has granted transit anticipatory bail to Mohammed Farmaan, the husband of Monalisa Bhosle, the young woman who became a social media sensation during the Kumbh Mela, in a criminal case registered against him by the Madhya Pradesh Police. The order, passed on June 3, 2026 by Justice Kauser Edappagath, gives Farmaan one month of protection from arrest so that he can approach the competent court in Madhya Pradesh for regular anticipatory bail. Background: F

The Supreme Court has constituted a five-member High-Powered Expert Committee to carry out a comprehensive review of the definition and demarcation of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges. The order marks a significant turn in the long-running litigation over protection of the Aravallis, one of the oldest mountain systems in the world, which stretches across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi and acts as a natural barrier against desertification of the National Capital Region. Wh

The Supreme Court has clarified a recurring question on the limitation period under Section 34(3) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996: when a party files an application under Section 33 for correction or interpretation of an arbitral award, the clock for challenging the award starts from the date the Section 33 application is disposed of, regardless of whether it is allowed or rejected. The ruling came on June 2, 2026 in National Highways Authority of India v. T. Yo

The Bombay High Court has granted a temporary injunction restraining an unidentified ransomware group calling itself Morpheus from publishing, selling or otherwise exploiting confidential data allegedly stolen from HDFC Asset Management Company. As per media reports, the group claims to have exfiltrated more than 680 GB of sensitive information from the fund house's network. The order is a significant example of Indian courts using civil injunctions against anonymous cybercri

The Supreme Court of India has ruled that a public servant can be prosecuted under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 even if the bribe was never demanded or received by the officer personally. In State by Lokayukta Police v. K. Rangayya, 2026 INSC 574, the Court held that a demand for an undue advantage routed through a third party, or made for the benefit of another person, squarely falls within the offence. The judgment restores a corruption case against a

The Delhi High Court has clarified that a dispute over a self-acquired property does not automatically become a matrimonial dispute simply because the parties are related through marriage. Deciding a matter involving in-laws and a daughter-in-law, Justice Amit Sharma held that proprietary rights and matrimonial rights are distinct legal concepts that must be examined independently, and that such ownership disputes do not fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Family Co

The Delhi High Court has recognised the right to be forgotten as a constitutionally protected facet of informational privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution. In a detailed judgment delivered on 29 May 2026, Justice Sachin Datta laid down a framework governing when courts may order de-indexing, delinking and masking of personal information in judicial records that are available online, while balancing that right against open justice and the public's right to know. The jud

The Supreme Court has upheld a Delhi High Court ruling that a bar association is not 'State' under Article 12 of the Constitution and is therefore not amenable to writ jurisdiction. A Bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Aravind Kumar dismissed the special leave petition filed by advocate Sangita Rai against the New Delhi Bar Association and imposed costs, settling a question that recurs whenever members seek to enforce rights against their professional associations th

The Supreme Court has ruled that a married daughter cannot be excluded from compassionate appointment or a welfare benefit merely because of her marital status. In Kulsum Nisha v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2026 INSC 617), decided on 2 June 2026, a Bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe set aside a view of the Allahabad High Court that the definition of family did not include a married daughter. The Court held that such exclusion is founded on marital status and

The Supreme Court of India has declined a plea seeking the conduct of the rescheduled NEET UG 2026 examination through computer-based testing (CBT) mode, ruling that the re-examination scheduled for June 21, 2026, will proceed in the offline pen-and-paper format. The bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Aravind Kumar, while refusing to interfere with the examination logistics at this stage, made pointed observations about the accountability failures of the National Tes

The Supreme Court of India has delivered a landmark ruling in Prajwala v. Union of India (2026 INSC 609), holding that voluntary adult sex workers cannot be forcibly rescued or detained against their will under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA). The judgment, delivered by Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan, draws a clear line between sex trafficking and consensual adult sex work, establishing new nationwide guidelines for how law enforcement agenc

Lending money to a friend, relative, or acquaintance without a written agreement is extremely common in India. When the borrower refuses to repay, many lenders assume they have no legal recourse because there is no signed document. This is incorrect. Indian law provides several pathways to recover money lent informally, as long as you can produce some form of evidence that the transaction occurred. Bank transfers, UPI records, WhatsApp messages, emails, and even witness testi

On May 29, 2026, the Supreme Court of India invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to issue binding directions to all High Courts across the country. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant passed structured guidelines aimed at streamlining judicial timelines, particularly in cases where judgments remain reserved for long periods without pronouncement. The Court observed that inordinate delays in delivering reserved judgments violate A