Indian commercial law, written as if it might actually matter to you. Real cases. Real moves. The doctrines that change outcomes — not the ones you memorised for the bar.
Selected readings — Vol. 1, No. 1
15 FIRs, one TV show: Anchor tells Supreme Court 'this is a political attack'
Arnab Goswami faced multiple criminal cases across states for the same broadcast. The top court had to decide: free speech or coordinated harassment?
CRIMINAL DEFENCE17 students accused him. The Supreme Court still quashed his dismissal.
The Supreme Court quashed a lecturer's dismissal for sexual harassment not because the allegations were false, but because the complaints committee denied him a…
CRIMINAL DEFENCE2 cops beat a man to death in custody. 36 years later, they asked to 'settle' the case. The Supreme Court said no.
The officers were convicted for killing a man at a police station in 1985. After the High Court reduced their charge, they sought to compound the offence — but …
CRIMINAL DEFENCE3 life convicts denied remission because judge wrote 'not appropriate' — with no reasons
The Supreme Court says a judge's opinion on remission must explain why, not just say no. A co-accused already got a fresh look.
CRIMINAL DEFENCE31 years spotless, a medal, then a 10-year sentence on a subordinate's word
A BSF commandant with a Presidential medal was convicted for smuggling. The actual smugglers walked free. The Supreme Court just threw out the conviction.
CRIMINAL DEFENCE4 years in jail, trial hasn't even started. Supreme Court says — enough.
Javed was arrested at Mumbai airport with fake notes. The NIA took over. Two co-accused got bail. He spent over four years waiting for charges to be framed. The…
22 categories. One wrong box. Your case loses two years.
The Commercial Courts Act lists twenty-two exhaustive categories of disputes — pick the wrong one and your fast-track suit lands on the ordinary side, losing mo…
COMMERCIAL DISPUTES8 days late, but Supreme Court says: condone it
HUDA filed objections to an arbitration award eight days after the deadline. The lower courts threw it out. The Supreme Court just sent it back for a fresh hear…
COMMERCIAL DISPUTES8 days late: SC says courts can't kill arbitration objections over small delays
HUDA's objections to a Rs 1.19 crore arbitration award were dismissed as time-barred despite being only 8 days late. The Supreme Court says courts must condone …
COMMERCIAL DISPUTES83 investors demanded their money back. The tribunal told the builder to settle. The Supreme Court said — no.
The NCLT kept adjourning an insolvency case to let the builder pay off investors. Only 13 of 83 had settled. The court tossed the order, ruling tribunals can't …
COMMERCIAL DISPUTESA 16-year-old arbitration was frozen because the judges worked for one side
The Supreme Court scrapped a government-officer panel that had been hearing a paper supply dispute since 2001, saying the 2015 amendment made them ineligible — …
COMMERCIAL DISPUTESA 1993 contract, a state's own officers as judges — then a 2015 law changed everything
The Supreme Court ruled that an arbitration panel made up of government employees automatically lost its mandate under a 2015 amendment, even though the arbitra…
12 years apart, marriage still alive? Supreme Court says no
Couple separated since 2010, bitterness undimmed. Court invokes Article 142 to grant divorce, calling it cruelty to keep them tied.
FAMILY & MATRIMONIAL12 years apart, still married. SC says: that's cruelty
Couple separated since 2010. Husband wanted divorce. Courts refused. Then SC stepped in with a surprising logic.
FAMILY & MATRIMONIAL12 years apart, still married. Then the Supreme Court stepped in.
A couple separated for over a decade, with bitterness on both sides, was denied divorce by two courts. The Supreme Court found a way—by calling the dead marriag…
FAMILY & MATRIMONIAL21-year-old wife has no job, no income. Court says she doesn't have to travel 150 km for her divorce case.
She filed for maintenance in Chennai. He filed for annulment in Vellore. The Supreme Court transferred his case to her city, ruling that a financially dependent…
FAMILY & MATRIMONIAL25 years apart, but still married. The Supreme Court just changed that.
A couple separated since 1998, with no kids and endless bitterness, couldn't get a divorce—until the court ruled that staying married itself was cruelty.
FAMILY & MATRIMONIAL80 kg ganja seized, but Supreme Court says: case collapses on a technicality
The police mixed the marijuana with green chillies, didn't weigh it separately, and broke the chain of custody. The FSL report became useless.
67 students cleared NEET, studied for years, and still lost their seats.
Two state notifications mandating centralized counselling were ignored by a private medical college, and the Supreme Court held that 67 students who entered thr…
TAX LAW8 judges were denied pension benefits. The Supreme Court just tore up the rule.
District judges elevated to the High Court were told they couldn't get the same provident fund as bar-appointed judges. The Court said: once you're a High Court…
TAX LAWA 10-year tax promise. A new law. The Supreme Court said the promise dies.
When Parliament enacted the GST, it extinguished a decade-old tax exemption — and the Supreme Court held that no executive promise can override a valid legislat…
TAX LAWA 100% government-owned company. The tax still fell. He won.
A contractor built police quarters for a state housing corporation and beat a service tax demand by proving the construction was for personal use of government …
TAX LAWA power deal was approved by the Karnataka government. Then a new law changed everything.
The state electricity board and a private power company thought they had a deal. But when a regulatory commission was created, it slashed the tariff. Who decide…
TAX LAWByju's creditor blocked from settling solo after insolvency admission
The Supreme Court says once CIRP starts, a single creditor can't cut a private deal and kill the process for everyone else.
16 years of litigation ended because IBPS is not 'State' under Article 12.
The Supreme Court held that IBPS is not amenable to writ jurisdiction under Article 226, leaving candidates with only civil suits or consumer complaints as reme…
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW30-year-old letter admitted as evidence—court cites convenience
Supreme Court says proving handwriting after three decades is nearly impossible, so old documents get a presumption of genuineness if kept properly.
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW38 writ petitions later: why your bank LOC may be unconstitutional now.
A Bombay High Court ruling strikes down executive memos that let public sector banks ground borrowers at airports, and raises a fundamental question about who c…
CONSTITUTIONAL LAWA bank got a written promise to pay after the debt was time-barred. The Supreme Court said: that's a new contract.
Kotak Mahindra Bank lent Rs 24.55 crore to a parts manufacturer. The company defaulted in 2015. Three years later, it signed a settlement. When it didn't pay, t…
CONSTITUTIONAL LAWA bank's loan was time-barred. A settlement letter changed everything.
Kotak Mahindra Bank filed for insolvency after the 3-year limit. The Supreme Court found that a written promise to pay a dead debt can create a fresh contract —…
CONSTITUTIONAL LAWA club said one thing in court, another in a form. The Supreme Court pounced.
The South Delhi Club denied its landlord's title in its written statement. But when it filed a separate application to avoid eviction, it admitted the exact fac…
30 years of service. State said no pension. One rule changed everything.
The Gujarat High Court held that Rule 25 of the Pension Rules compels the State to count temporary service, ending a 30-year fight over a pension denied on a te…
LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT54-day gap cost her Rs 10 lakh pension — Supreme Court steps in
A district judge retired on July 31, 2014. She became a high court judge on September 25, 2014. The government said the 54-day break meant she couldn't blend he…
LABOUR & EMPLOYMENTAn ice-cream trip, a kidnapping, and a pregnancy at 28 weeks: the case that tested medical reality.
A teenage rape victim's pregnancy crossed 28 weeks before two medical boards independently concluded termination would endanger both her life and a viable foetu…
LABOUR & EMPLOYMENTArmy officer's wife complained to his boss. Court called it cruelty.
She wrote to the Chief of Army Staff and women's commission. He lost promotions. The Supreme Court said: that's mental cruelty, even if she meant to 'save' the …
LABOUR & EMPLOYMENTCan a Chief Justice alone decide promotion rules for High Court staff?
The Supreme Court upheld a Chief Justice's order requiring graduation for promotion to Head Assistant, ruling it didn't need Full Court approval.
LABOUR & EMPLOYMENTCharges proved, no loss to bank — yet removal was too harsh.
The Kerala High Court upheld the inquiry findings against a 30-year banker but set aside his removal because the bank admitted no loss and had treated similar m…
A 25-year power deal locked at Rs 2.64/unit. Then a regulator changed the rules. The Supreme Court just said: no takebacks.
Wind energy generators wanted to hike their tariff after a 2013 amendment. The Supreme Court ruled that a contract is a contract, even if the market shifts.
ADMINISTRATIVE LAWA Council That Changed Its Mind After 7 Years — And Why the Supreme Court Stopped It
A rejected claim under the MSMED Act was revived by the same Facilitation Council after government pressure. The Supreme Court ruled: no review power, no retros…
ADMINISTRATIVE LAWA lawyer wrote a will leaving himself £50,000. No one was in the room when he wrote it.
The Privy Council upheld the will despite the suspicious circumstances, deferring to the trial judge's assessment of witness credibility.
ADMINISTRATIVE LAWA will was admitted as evidence. The objection came too late—here's why that matters.
The Privy Council ruled that if you don't object to a document's mode of proof at trial, you can't complain later. A simple rule with big consequences.
ADMINISTRATIVE LAWA will with 'unusual features' was challenged. The court's test: not one flaw, but the whole picture.
The propounder helped draft the will, summoned the witness, drove the testator to the registrar. The court said: that alone isn't suspicious. Here's what it tak…
ADMINISTRATIVE LAWA wind power PPA locked at ₹2.64/kWh. Then the rules changed. Who pays?
Gujarat's bulk power buyer signed 25-year deals with wind developers under the old REC regime. After a 2013 amendment, developers demanded a higher dynamic tari…
100% disability awarded. Two lakhs for pain. The Supreme Court said no.
A 29-year-old in a persistent vegetative state was awarded Rs 2 lakh for pain and suffering until the Supreme Court rejected the mechanical application of the R…
CIVIL LITIGATION137 Hindi teachers lose jobs after 30 years — here's why the court said it's legal
The Supreme Court ruled their 1988 appointments were void from day one because the schools skipped a mandatory selection process. Even decades of work couldn't …
CIVIL LITIGATION137 teachers hired without selection board — Supreme Court says all appointments void
For 30 years, Hindi teachers in Odisha were appointed, terminated, reinstated, and terminated again. The Supreme Court just ended the cycle: the original hires …
CIVIL LITIGATION142 acres assigned to SC/ST farmers in 1960s — now they've lost it all
The Supreme Court upheld the government's resumption of land that had been transferred without permission, rejecting claims of double jeopardy and compensation.
CIVIL LITIGATION15-year-old tagline. Competitor complaint. Court said it's puffery.
A 15-year-old tagline survived a competitor's complaint and an ASCI order because the Delhi High Court found it was puffery, not a factual claim
CIVIL LITIGATION150 colleges lost recognition — not for poor teaching, but for a missed deadline.
The Delhi High Court ruled that the NCTE cannot refuse recognition or shut teacher education institutions without following its own mandatory timelines and proc…
Can a CD be evidence without a certificate? Supreme Court says no
The court overruled its own precedent to settle a split among High Courts on electronic evidence, but later carved out a crucial exception.
CYBER & DIGITAL EVIDENCECan a CD recording be trusted as evidence? The Supreme Court says yes, but with a catch.
In a political defection case, the court ruled that electronic evidence is admissible—but set a higher bar for proving it hasn't been tampered with.
CYBER & DIGITAL EVIDENCECan't get the certificate? Court says: Justice over procedure
Supreme Court creates an exception to mandatory electronic evidence rules when the party producing it doesn't control the device.
CYBER & DIGITAL EVIDENCECan't get the certificate? Supreme Court says you can still use electronic evidence
A four-judge bench ruled that the mandatory certificate under Section 65B(4) is not needed if you don't control the device. Here's why that matters.
CYBER & DIGITAL EVIDENCECD played in court but no expert checked it. Judge says: invalid.
Police watched a CD with the magistrate and prosecutor. But without a forensic analysis and a Section 65B certificate, the Kerala High Court threw it out as unr…
CYBER & DIGITAL EVIDENCECourt says digital documents are just as discoverable as paper ones
A US district judge ruled that electronic records fall under the same discovery rules as physical documents, paving the way for modern e-discovery.
7 men attacked a couple in their field. The High Court let them off with time served. Then the Supreme Court stepped in.
The High Court said the injured wife's testimony had contradictions. The Supreme Court said: that's not how you read a police statement.
TRIAL EVIDENCEA 1928 sale deed was a certified copy. The High Court said it wasn't enough. The Supreme Court disagreed — and restored the title to 2.61 acres.
The High Court reversed a 100-year-old title claim because the original deed wasn't produced. The Supreme Court held: a certified copy of a registered deed is a…
TRIAL EVIDENCEA 35-year tax fight ends not with a verdict, but a Rs 5 lakh penalty
Golden Tobacco challenged a law that let the excise department use witness statements without cross-examination. By the time the Supreme Court heard the case, t…
TRIAL EVIDENCEA 95-year-old sale deed was just a photocopy. The court said: that's enough.
The Supreme Court reversed a High Court that threw out a certified copy of a 1928 registered deed, ruling that such copies are automatically admissible as secon…
TRIAL EVIDENCEA dying man's last words to a witness: admissible or not?
The Supreme Court ruled that a statement made by an injured person to a witness, pointing out his nephew as the shooter, was admissible as part of the same tran…
TRIAL EVIDENCEA man claimed he was his son. The Supreme Court ordered a DNA test.
The court said when science and witness testimony clash, the evidence that inspires more confidence wins. In paternity cases, DNA is now nearly certain.