Historical legal news archive
January 2018 Indian Court Judgments and Legal News
A curated archive of judgments and legal developments reported in January 2018, covering the Supreme Court of India, the Delhi High Court and important criminal, civil, insurance, employment and constitutional law questions.
Archive notice: These reports describe decisions and legal proceedings as they stood in January 2018. They are not a statement of current law. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, came into force on 1 July 2024, subject to their commencement provisions and transitional rules. Earlier IPC and CrPC provisions may remain relevant to historical events and pending proceedings.
January 2018: Major legal themes
The month's reported decisions address criminal conviction and sentencing, dowry death, motor accident claims and insurer liability, arbitration clauses and awards, employment eligibility, property succession, environmental compliance and procedural questions concerning pleadings and remand. Each headline below links to the original report.
Judgments and news reports
Live Band music in restaurant, Appeal dismissed, Karnataka Police to give licence
Appeal for conviction under section 307 IPC instead of 325 IPC dismissed, finding no reason and respondents have already undergone imprisonment
Application to file additional documents and amendment to Plaint, appeal allowed by Supreme Court
Children of first wife got property of diseased father. Appeal of 2nd wife's children dismissed by Supreme Court
Appeal against remand back order dismissed, trial court to hear and consider the case afresh
Appointment of lecturers, Distance M. Phil before 2009 are eligible, MP State appeal dismissed by SC
No FIR, Contradictory statements, Supreme Court confirmed High Court Judgment rejecting Motor accident claim
Insurance claim amount in Motor accident enhanced by Supreme Court
Motor accident claim, High Court order of reducing insurance compensation, modified, enhanced by Supreme Court
Accident death, no driving licence, insurance company to pay compensation, may recover from the owner of vehicle
Supreme Court reduced sentence of life imprisonment to 10 years for murder and partially allowed appeal
Aadhaar Scheme itself is bad and this leads to departing from determinist system to probabilistic system- Shyam Diwan in Supreme Court.
Reliance Communication Ltd is directed to furnish bank guarantee of Rs. 10 Crore. Appeal by Reliance dismissed by Delhi High Court
Applicability of Industrial Disputes Act to Cooperative Society. The Supreme Court remanded back appeal filed by the Society to High Court.
Insurance claim on burglary enhanced by Supreme Court and 12% interest allowed for delayed payment
Supreme Court upheld Kerala High Judgment imposing fine of Rs. 1 Crore on DLF for violation of environmental norms
Retrospective amendment to Section 28 and 80HHC of Income Tax Act, not valid, High Court of Delhi
Sentence under 302 IPC, convicts plea that the offence took place due to sudden quarrel not acceptable, Delhi High Court
Alternate appointment in Railways, SLP of Union of India dismissed. Don't file cases with no merit, Supreme Court advice to the Government Counsel
Playing National Anthem prior to the screening of films in Cinema halls is not mandatory, but optional or directory
Delhi High Court added conviction under section section 304B IPC in a Dowry death case while disposing off appeal of the State
Life term for murder upheld by Delhi High Court, not interfering in the Judgment of Trial Court and its order of sentence
Cancellation of candidature by Screening Committee, of acquitted criminal case accused, upheld by the Supreme Court
Acquittal of Murder convict reversed by Supreme Court and upheld the imprisonment awarded by Trial Court
Appeal to implement arbitration clause allowed and arbitrator appointed by Supreme Court. Associations, bodies sufficient to incorporate the arbitration clause
Fraud and cheating to snatch land, appeal of Complainants allowed and appeal by accused against dismissal of quashing application under 482 CRPC dismissed by the Supreme Court
Supreme Court direction to Slum Rehabilitation Authority, Mumbai, a big relief for slum dwellers and an end to 3 decade long litigation
Understanding the legal references
IPC: The Indian Penal Code, 1860, was the principal substantive criminal code when these cases were decided. References to sections 302 (murder punishment), 304B (dowry death), 306 (abetment of suicide), 307 (attempt to murder), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), and 498A (cruelty by husband or relatives) are historical references to the law discussed in the judgments. The BNS is generally the present substantive criminal code, with savings and transitional provisions requiring attention.
CrPC: The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, governed criminal procedure in 2018. Its section 482 preserved the High Court's inherent powers; the corresponding current provision is section 528 of the BNSS, 2023. Motor Vehicles Act: Compensation disputes concern the applicable provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and judicial principles on insurer liability and damages.
Official legal sources
For authoritative statutory text and later amendments, consult India Code. For the judgments and subsequent case history, consult the Supreme Court of India and Delhi High Court. A judgment's application depends on its facts, subsequent decisions and the law applicable to the dispute.