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Shadows Within the Matrimonial Walls: Upholding Convictions for Homicidal Violence

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This consolidated criminal appeal challenged the judgment and order dated July 22, 2017, passed by the Additional District and Sessions Judge / Fast Track Court No. 1, Etawah, in Sessions Trial Nos. 290 of 2015 and 291 of 2015. The trial court convicted the appellants—Gauri Shankar, Sudhakar, and Smt. Munni Devi—under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, sentencing each to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 20,000, while acquitting them of dowry death charges under Section 304-B IPC and other related counts. The Allahabad High Court thoroughly assessed a robust chain of circumstantial evidence, including the unnatural homicidal death of the young wife inside her matrimonial home resulting from asphyxia due to strangulation (corroborated by a fractured hyoid bone and multiple contusions), the complete absence of injuries on any other resident, and the failure of the appellants to offer any explanation under Section 106 of the Evidence Act. Rejecting the defense’s speculative intruder theories, the Division Bench dismissed the appeals, upheld the convictions, and ordered the non-incarcerated appellants to surrender immediately.

  • Prosecution Case and Trial Court Findings:
    • The first informant, Kishan Babu (PW-1), married his daughter Preeti to Sudhakar on June 28, 2012, but she faced continuous physical harassment and dowry demands for cash and a Pulsar motorcycle.
    • On May 8, 2015, Preeti called her father stating that her in-laws were beating her and locking her in a room to kill her; when the father and relatives rushed to the house by 2:00 PM, they found her lying dead with neck and arm injuries while all family members had fled.
    • After investigation, charge-sheets were submitted, and the trial court convicted the appellants under Section 302/34 IPC, though it acquitted them of dowry death (Section 304-B IPC) and acquitted two co-accused (Pratap Singh and Neeti).
  • Medical Evidence and Nature of Death:
    • The autopsy report (Ex. Ka-13) recorded seven ante-mortem injuries, including a continuous horizontal ligature mark below the thyroid with soft, reddish, ecchymosed subcutaneous tissue, alongside multiple contusions on the limbs, hips, and abdomen.
    • The cause of death was confirmed as asphyxia due to strangulation, supported by a fractured right-sided hyoid bone.
    • Medical jurisprudence distinctions outlined in Modi’s treatise confirmed that the findings were characteristic of homicidal strangulation rather than suicidal hanging.
  • Chain of Circumstances and Inmate Accountability:
    • Although several witnesses of fact turned hostile, the foundational circumstances remained intact: the deceased died an unnatural, violent death within the closed confines of her matrimonial home where she resided exclusively with the appellants.
    • The vague suggestion by hostile witnesses that unknown intruders committed the murder was completely rejected, as there was no evidence of theft or robbery, and none of the other inmates sustained any injuries.
    • Furthermore, none of the appellants attempted to report the tragedy to the police; instead, the victim’s father initiated police contact.
  • Application of Section 106 of the Evidence Act:
    • Relying on landmark Supreme Court precedents such as Sharad Birdhichand Sarda v. State of Maharashtra, Trimukh Maroti Kirkan v. State of Maharashtra, and State of W.B. v. Mir Mohammad Omar, the High Court reiterated that when an offense occurs inside the privacy of a house, a corresponding burden shifts to the inmates under Section 106 of the Evidence Act to offer a cogent explanation.
    • The total silence and complete absence of any explanation from the appellants under Section 313 Cr.P.C. served as a strong concluding link in the complete chain of circumstantial evidence pointing to their guilt.
  • Final Ruling:
    • The High Court found no infirmity in the trial court’s assessment and dismissed Criminal Appeal No. 4605 of 2017 and Criminal Appeal No. 4606 of 2017.
    • The conviction and sentence of life imprisonment were affirmed, and the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Etawah, was directed to take coercive steps to secure the surrender of any appellants not currently in custody.

J.O. (Web) 2026 ALL 39

Gauri Shankar and another v. State of U.P. (D.O.J. 01.07.2026)

J.O. (Web) 2026 ALL 39 click here to view full text of judgment

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Supreme Court Judgment Summary 15th Sep, 2026

September 18, 2026 No Comments

Supreme Court Judgment Summary 15th Sep, 2026

A Definitive Review on Disability Pension Rights for Ex-Servicemen

This landmark batch of appeals brought by the Union of India challenged various orders passed by the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) and High Courts, which had granted the disability element of service pensions to ex-servicemen. These former personnel had been assessed by Release Medical Boards (RMB) as having disabilities that were “Neither Attributable Nor Aggravated” (NANA) by military service. The Supreme Court addressed the core tension between the protective, beneficial jurisprudence established in Dharamvir Singh v. Union of India (governed by the Entitlement Rules 1982) and the restrictive framework introduced by the subsequent Entitlement Rules 2008. Crucially, the Court undertook a deep constitutional and administrative review of the legitimacy of the 2008 rules, evaluating whether they possessed binding legal force and whether they could dilute established beneficial entitlements.

2026 INSC 993 : Union of India & Ors. v. Col. NC Isaac (Retd.) and Connected Appeals (D.O.J. 15.09.2026)

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Setting Aside Ineligible Selection to Protect Merit

September 18, 2026 No Comments

The Supreme Court of India dismissed the civil appeal filed by Sunita Lahu Panchpande, upholding the Bombay High Court’s judgment that had set aside her appointment as an Anganwadi Supervisor in Nashik District. The appellant, who originally served as an Anganwadi Sevika in Jalgaon District, applied for and was appointed to the post in Nashik despite an express restriction in the advertisement and the governing Government Resolution (G.R.) dated November 17, 2001, mandating that applicants must possess ten years of work experience specifically within Nashik District. Although the Divisional Commissioner had erroneously issued a clarification stating that experience from other districts was acceptable, the Supreme Court ruled that a subordinate administrative official cannot issue clarifications contrary to statutory G.R.s and recruitment advertisements. Citing the doctrine that appointments made in disregard of advertised qualifications amount to a fraud on the public, the Supreme Court affirmed the High Court’s order directing the appointment of the eligible wait-listed candidate (the sixth respondent) in her place, while acknowledging the compassionate observation permitting the appellant’s accommodation in her home district.

  • Core Issues Addressed: The Supreme Court evaluated whether a candidate lacking the mandatory territorial work experience stipulated in a recruitment advertisement and government resolution can retain public employment based on an erroneous administrative clarification.
  • Mandatory Territorial Eligibility: A conjoint reading of the 2001 Government Resolution and the specific conditions of the advertisement clearly established that applicants must have accumulated their ten years of qualifying experience as an Anganwadi Sevika within the same district (Nashik).
  • Incompetence of Administrative Clarifications: The Divisional Commissioner lacked the legal authority to issue a clarification that ran completely contrary to the explicit text of the 2001 G.R.; any genuine doubt ought to have been referred back to the State Government.
  • Fraud on Public Aspirants: Reaffirming the principle laid down in Tripura Sundari Devi, the Court emphasized that appointing ineligible candidates in violation of advertised terms without an express relaxation clause constitutes a fraud on public candidates who possessed better qualifications but refrained from applying.
  • Final Outcome: The appeal was dismissed, the High Court’s judgment was upheld, the sixth respondent was awarded the rightful appointment with benefits to be disbursed within two months, and the appellant was granted time until September 30, 2026, to transition out of the post.

2026 INSC 1002

Sunita Lahu Panchpande v. The District Collector & Ors. (D.O.J. 16.09.2026)

2026 INSC 1002 click here to view full text of judgment

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Acquittal Under NDPS Act Due to Flawed Sampling and Unproven Contraband

September 18, 2026 No Comments

The Supreme Court of India allowed the criminal appeals filed by the appellants Abdul Rajik and Govind, setting aside the concurrent judgments of the Trial Court and the High Court of Madhya Pradesh which had convicted them under Section 8 read with Section 20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The appellants had been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for 10 years and 8 years respectively, following allegations that they were caught carrying charas. The Supreme Court held that the prosecution fundamentally failed to establish an unbroken chain of custody for the seized samples, pointing out severe lapses, including the total non-compliance with Section 52-A of the NDPS Act (drawing samples without a Magistrate), missing entries in the malkhana register regarding the exit of samples, a silent carrier constable, and an unexplained five-day delay before the samples reached the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Consequently, the FSL report became untrustworthy, and with no other reliable scientific proof that the recovered material was actually charas, the Court granted the appellants the benefit of the doubt and acquitted them.

  • Core Issues Addressed: The Supreme Court examined the validity of convictions under the NDPS Act concerning the integrity of link evidence, the absolute necessity of maintaining a secure chain of custody for seized contraband samples, and the legal consequences of failing to comply with Section 52-A of the NDPS Act.
  • Breach in Link Evidence and Custody: The prosecution failed to prove the safe transit of the samples from the malkhana to the FSL. Crucially, the forwarding letter from the Superintendent of Police was dated December 1, 2004, whereas the FSL recorded receipt on December 6, 2004, leaving an unexplained five-day gap with zero evidence as to whose custody the samples remained in during this period.
  • Non-Compliance with Section 52-A: The investigating officer completely omitted the mandatory statutory safeguard of drawing representative samples in the presence of an Executive or Judicial Magistrate, which severely dented the integrity of the seizure and sampling process.
  • Exclusion of the FSL Report: Due to the shattered chain of custody and procedural flaws, the FSL report (Exhibit P-46) lost its evidentiary value and had to be discarded. Furthermore, the informal spot-testing method (burning a small piece of the substance) was deemed unscientific and insufficient to prove the material was charas.
  • Final Outcome: The appeals were allowed, the judgments of conviction and sentences were set aside, and the appellants were acquitted of all charges with their bail bonds discharged.

2026 INSC 1001

Abdul Rajik v. State of M.P. (D.O.J. 16.09.2026)

2026 INSC 1001 click here to view full text of judgment

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The Finality of Tax Settlements: Barring Reassessment After ITSC Orders

September 18, 2026 No Comments

The Supreme Court of India dismissed the civil appeal filed by the Revenue (Income Tax Department), upholding the judgment of the Delhi High Court which had quashed a reassessment notice and order issued against the respondent-assessee, M/s. Omaxe Limited. The core controversy revolved around whether the Assessing Officer (AO) retained the jurisdiction to reopen a concluded assessment under Section 148 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, to disallow housing project deductions under Section 80IB(10) after the Income Tax Settlement Commission (ITSC) had already passed a final settlement order under Section 245D(4). The Supreme Court ruled that Chapter XIX-A of the Income Tax Act is a self-contained code. Once an application for settlement is admitted and a final order is issued, it attains absolute finality under Section 245-I, and the regular assessment machinery cannot be invoked to bypass this conclusiveness. The Court clarified that if the Revenue wishes to challenge a settlement order on grounds of fraud or misrepresentation, its sole exclusive remedy is to approach the ITSC directly under Section 245D(6)—not to initiate parallel reassessment proceedings.

  • Core Issue Addressed: The Supreme Court examined whether an Assessing Officer can independently issue a reassessment notice under Section 148 to disallow deductions (such as under Section 80IB(10)) that were part of the total income considerations during a concluded proceeding before the Settlement Commission.
  • Exclusive Jurisdiction of the ITSC: The Court reaffirmed that upon the admission of a settlement application, the ITSC assumes exclusive jurisdiction over the case for that assessment year, placing the regular assessment machinery under statutory abeyance pursuant to Section 245F(2).
  • Conclusiveness of Settlement Orders: Under Section 245-I, orders passed by the ITSC under Section 245D(4) are final and conclusive on the matters stated therein, barring the Revenue from splitting an assessment to re-litigate items through standard reassessment channels.
  • Exclusive Remedy for Fraud or Misrepresentation: If the Revenue discovers that a settlement order was obtained through misrepresentation or concealment, Section 245D(6) provides the exclusive statutory pathway to declare the settlement void by moving the ITSC directly, a route the Revenue unsuccessfully attempted and exhausted in this very case.
  • Final Outcome: The appeal filed by the Revenue was dismissed, confirming that the regular tax authorities cannot initiate parallel reassessments once an ITSC settlement order has attained finality.

2026 INSC 1000

Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax & Another v. M/s. Omaxe Limited (D.O.J. 16.09.2026)

2026 INSC 1000 click here to view full text of judgment

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