Constitutional Law

In a significant ruling reinforcing the reach of India's transparency framework, the Supreme Court has struck down a Madhya Pradesh government notification that exempted the Special Police Establishment (SPE) of the Lokayukta Organisation from the Right to Information Act, 2005. The decision in Special Police Establishment v. Kamta Prasad Mishra (2026 INSC 644), delivered by a Bench of Justice SVN Bhatti and Justice Atul S Chandurkar, holds that the SPE cannot be classified a

The Delhi High Court has issued notice but declined, for now, to grant interim relief in a defamation suit filed by journalist Anjana Om Kashyap and TV Today Network against educator Faisal Khan, popularly known as Khan Sir, and others. The plaintiffs have sought damages of Rs 2 crore and the removal of allegedly defamatory content from online and social media platforms. The case is a useful illustration of how Indian courts approach the tension between reputation and free sp

The Supreme Court has held that a consensual pre-marital relationship between two unmarried adults cannot, by itself, be treated as a reflection of poor moral character, and has restored the police constable selection of a candidate whose appointment was cancelled on that basis. In Gajula Thirupathi v. The Telangana State Level Police Recruitment Board (2026 INSC 493), the Court set aside a Division Bench judgment of the Telangana High Court and reinstated the order of the Si

The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation that challenged the constitutional validity of the new Council of Ministers headed by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, holding that the petition rested on a basic misreading of Article 164(1A) of the Constitution. A Bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha described the plea as a publicity stunt and an unjustifiable use of judicial time, and imposed costs of Rs 50,000 on the petitioner. T

The Supreme Court on 12 June 2026 dismissed a writ petition filed by Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan challenging the rejection of her Rajya Sabha candidature from Madhya Pradesh, holding that the proper remedy lay in an election petition rather than a writ. A Bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice A. S. Chandurkar declined to exercise the Court's writ jurisdiction, citing the constitutional bar in Article 329, and granted the petitioner liberty to raise her ch

The Supreme Court has held that Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel, including members of the Border Security Force (BSF), can invoke the writ jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court in service matters even when the cause of action arises outside Delhi. A bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma delivered the ruling while allowing an appeal filed by BSF constable Baksish Ahmad, whose writ petition challenging his dismissal from service had been

The Supreme Court on June 15, 2026, issued notice on a writ petition challenging the reappointment of Deepak Prakash as Bihar's Panchayati Raj Minister without being elected as a member of the state legislature. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana issued notice to the State of Bihar, Deepak Prakash and the Election Commission of India on the petition filed by social activist Rakesh Kumar Singh. The case raises fundamental questions about

The Supreme Court on June 15, 2026, stayed proceedings in multiple High Courts hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026. A partial working days bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana passed the order while hearing transfer petitions filed by the Union Government seeking consolidation of challenges pending before the Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala and Delhi Hig

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