Supreme Court Weekly Round Up [December 8-14, 2025]

1. [Cash for Jobs Scam] The Supreme Court on Monday relaxed the bail conditions of former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji in the money laundering case linked to the alleged cash-for-jobs scam, modifying the requirement that he appear before the Enforcement Directorate twice a week. During the hearing, the Counsel for the respondents argued that Balaji’s plea was “actually in the form of a review,” pointing to a similar case where the accused, after challenging conditions, had filed a miscellaneous application.
Case Title: V Senthil Balaji v. The Deputy Director
Bench: CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi
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2. [Siddaramaiah Election win] The Supreme Court today issued notice in a petition challenging the 2023 election of Congress leader and current Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramiah from the Varuna constituency. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mahta has issued notice on the plea filed by KM Shankar. Earlier this year, Karnataka High Court had dismissed the instant plea in April this year. Shankar, a voter from Varuna constituency challenged the guarantees made in the Indian National Congress (INC) party's manifesto for the State polls in 2023. He alleged that the same amounted to bribery under the Representation of the People Act.
Case Title: K. SHANKARA Vs SIDDARAMAIAH
Bench: Justices Nath and Mehta
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3. [POCSO cases] The Supreme Court on Monday strongly disapproved an Allahabad High Court ruling that held the acts of grabbing a minor girl’s breasts, breaking the string of her pyjama and attempting to pull down her lower garment were insufficient to infer an attempt to rape. The Court, which had taken suo motu cognisance of the March 17 order, said the judgment could not stand and required immediate correction. The Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made it clear that the High Court’s conclusions would be set aside and that the criminal trial must proceed unhindered. “We will set aside the HC order and let the trial continue,” the CJI said while issuing interim directions.
Case Title: In Re: Order Dated 17.03.2025 Passed By The High Court Of Judicature At Allahabad In Criminal Revision No. 1449/2024 And Ancillary Issues
Bench: CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi
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4. [Sonam Wangchuk] A request was made before the Supreme Court today on behalf of Ladakh-based education reformer and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is reportedly lodged in Jodhpur jail under the National Security Act (NSA) following violent clashes in Ladakh, to allow him virtual appearance before Supreme Court. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal told the top court that Wangchuk wished to be connected via video from jail. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, opposing the request told court that same treatment would be asked for by all détenues.
Case Title: Dr. Gitanjali J. Angmo vs. Union of India & Ors.
Bench: Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria
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5. [Women's reservation] In a landmark move to boost gender representation in the legal profession, the Supreme Court on Monday directed that 30 percent of all seats in State Bar Councils, where elections are yet to be notified, must be reserved for women Advocates. The Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the measure was essential to ensure meaningful participation of women in bar governance bodies.
Case Title: Yogamaya MG v. Union of India & Ors. and connected matters
Bench: CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi
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6. [Delhi Riots] The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its judgment on the bail petitions filed by Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider and several others booked under the UAPA in the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case. The matter was heard by the Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N. V. Anjaria.
Case Title: Gulfisha Fatima v. State of NCT of Delhi and connected matters
Bench: Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria
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7. [Terror Funding Case] The Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for seeking yet another adjournment in Shabir Ahmed Shah’s bail plea in a terror-funding case, noting that the matter has remained pending for an inordinately long time. The Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing Shah’s application when the NIA asked that the case be shifted to January, citing the Solicitor General’s involvement in a part-heard matter before another court.
Case Title: Shabir Ahmed Shah v. NIA
Bench: Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta
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8. [Kerala University VCs] In the continuing tussle between the Kerala Governor and the State Government over the appointment of regular Vice Chancellors to two universities, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Justice Dhulia–led committee to re-examine the issue and submit a composite recommendation. The Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan observed that despite repeated directions, the Governor, who is also the Chancellor, and the Chief Minister have failed to reach a consensus on selecting a Vice Chancellor for the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and the University of Digital Sciences Innovation and Technology.
Case Title: The Chancellor, APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University v. State of Kerala & Ors.
Bench: Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan
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9. [Sanjiv Bhatt] The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to suspend the 20-year jail sentence awarded to former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a 1996 drug seizure case. The Bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi said it was not inclined to entertain Bhatt’s plea challenging the sentence handed down by a sessions court in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district. Bhatt had approached the Apex Court seeking suspension of the sentence, arguing that his conviction stemmed from a fabricated case relating to an alleged drug recovery from a hotel room in Palanpur almost three decades ago. The trial court had found him guilty of falsely implicating a Rajasthan-based lawyer, Sumersingh Rajpurohit, by claiming drugs were recovered from his hotel room in 1996.
Case Title: SanjeevKumar RajendraBhai Bhatt v. State of Gujarat
Bench: Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi
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10. [Lakhimpur Kheri violence] The Supreme Court on Thursday permitted Ashish Mishra, son of former Union Minister Ajay Mishra and an accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, to travel to his hometown from December 25 to 31 to be with his daughter ahead of her Class 12 board exams. The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi emphasized that all existing bail conditions, including a prohibition on political activity, would continue to apply.
Case Title: Ashish Mishra alias Monu v. State of Uttar Pradesh
Bench: CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi
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11. [Acid Attacks] The Supreme Court on Thursday took a stern view of rising acid crimes, especially cases involving the forceful ingestion of acid, and directed the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to expedite all five pending trials. The Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant issued the direction while hearing a plea filed by acid attack survivor Shaheen Malik. During the hearing, Malik highlighted an especially brutal case involving a 28-year-old woman who was allegedly forced to drink acid. She now weighs barely 20 kilograms, with a haemoglobin level of 3.
Case Title: Shaheen Malik v. Union of India
Bench: CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi
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12. [Abuse of process] The Supreme Court today came down heavily on a NGO which filed a writ petition challenging an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court relating to minority institutions. United Voice for Education Forum, an NGO had filed a writ petition seeking to set aside the top court’s 2014 decision to exempt minority educational institutions from the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. "How can you file a writ petition against a judgment of this court? You want the system to break down? Tell us how much cost we should impose," Justice BV Nagarathna pulled up the counsel before it as the petition was taken up.
Case Title: United Voice for Education Forum Vs Union of India
Bench: Justices Nagarathna and Mahadevan
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13. [Karur Stampede] The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on the petition filed by actor Vijay’s party, Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), challenging the Madras High Court order directing a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the Karur stampede that claimed several lives earlier this year. The Bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi took up the matter and signalled concern over developments in the High Court, observing that “something wrong” appeared to be happening there, referring to a report submitted by the Registrar General.
Case Title: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam v. PH Dinesh
Bench: Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice NV Anjaria
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14. [Munambam Waqf land grab case] The Supreme Court today has issued notice in a Special Leave petition filed against the Kerala High Court's verdict which held the Kerala State Waqf Board unilaterally notifying 404 acres of coastal land in Munambam, Ernakulam, as Waqf property as a “land-grabbing tactic”. A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan today issued notice in a petition filed by Kerala Waqf Samrakshana Vedhi. Court while staying the High Court's declaration that the Munambam land is not Waqf has clarified that the High Court's approval for constitution of an inquiry commission with respect to the issue has not been stayed.
Case Title: Kerala Waqf Samrakshana Vedhi & Ors. vs. State of Kerala
Bench: Justices Misra and Bhuyan
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