Supreme Court Weekly Round Up [October 13-19, 2025]

1. [Karur Stampede] The Supreme Court ordered a CBI investigation into the Karur stampede, observing that the incident had a direct bearing on the fundamental rights of citizens. The Court also constituted a three-member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi to oversee the investigation.
Case Title: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam v. PH Dinesh
Bench: Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice NV Anjaria
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2. [Vote Chori PIL] The Supreme Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a former judge to probe allegations of large-scale voter list manipulation in the Bengaluru Central constituency during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The petition by Advocate Rohit Pandey had sought an independent investigation into the claims made by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier alleged irregularities and “Vote Chori” in the Bengaluru Central parliamentary seat.
Case Title: Rohit Pandey v. Union of India
Bench: Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi
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3. [Mullaperiyar Dam] The Supreme Court issued notice to the Central government, the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments in a PIL seeking the construction of a new dam to replace the 130-year-old Mullaperiyar dam following concerns over its safety and structural stability. A bench Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran has sought responses on a petition filed by Save Kerala Brigade's alleging that over 10 million people live in the close vicinity of the British-era dam.
Case Title: SAVE KERALA BRIGADE Vs UNION OF INDIA
Bench: CJI Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran
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4. [Chamber allotment] The Supreme Court issued notice on a petition by a group of lawyers seeking a uniform and gender-sensitive policy for allotment of professional chambers and cabins to women advocates across courts and bar associations nationwide. The petition also seeks priority allotment to women advocates with over 25 years of practice who are on the Supreme Court Bar Association’s waiting list.
Case Tile: Bhakti Pasrija and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors.
Bench: Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi
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5. [Witness Protection] The Supreme Court has issued notice to the State of Madhya Pradesh on a petition raising concerns over the State's failure to frame witness protection rules under Section 398 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS). The Bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih issued notice limited to Prayer 'E' of the writ petition, which specifically sought directions to the State to frame and notify comprehensive rules for witness protection as mandated under Section 398 of BNSS.
Case Title: Victim X (Minor) v. State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors.
Bench: Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih
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6. [Phone Tapping Case] The Supreme Court extended the interim protection from arrest granted to former Telangana Intelligence chief T. Prabhakar Rao; prime accused in the high-profile phone tapping case, while taking strong exception to reports that politicians were allegedly present during his interrogation. The Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan was hearing Rao’s plea for anticipatory bail and an intervention application (IA) filed by the State seeking to vacate his interim protection.
Case Title: T. Prabhakar Rao v. The State of Telangana
Bench: Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan
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7. [Secretariat Scam] The Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea filed by Daman and Diu MP Umeshbhai Babubhai Patel seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into alleged financial irregularities worth about Rs. 33 crore in the renovation, demolition, and restoration of the Union Territory Secretariat building at Moti Daman. The Bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran directed Patel to approach the Bombay High Court, observing that the issue could be addressed expeditiously there.
Case Title: Umeshbhai Babubhai Patel v. Union of India & Anr.
Bench: CJI BR Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran
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8. [Congress MLA Election win] The Supreme Court of India has stayed the Karnataka High Court's decision setting aside the election of Congress leader K.Y. Nanje Gowda from the Malur Assembly constituency in Kolar district and directing a recount of votes within four weeks, holding that the unexplained absence of video recordings of the counting process created sufficient doubt over the fairness of the May 2023 poll result. A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi has further ordered that Gowda shall continue as the elected MLA, pending further orders. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has further been asked to comply with the High Court’s directions insofar as they pertain to the recounting of votes, and to submit the results of the recount in a sealed cover.
Case Title: K.Y. Nanje Gowda vs. K.S. Manjunath Gowda
Bench: Justices Kant and Bagchi
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9. [Singur Nano Project] The Supreme Court on October 13, 2025 held that land acquired for Tata Motors’ “Nano” car project in Singur, West Bengal, will be restored only to farmers, and not to industrial entities that had accepted compensation and chosen not to pursue legal remedies. The Court said that extending restoration benefits to such entities would set an undesirable precedent. A Division Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi allowed the appeal filed by West Bengal government challenging two Calcutta High Court judgments dated October 11, 2018 and April 24, 2017, which had directed the State to restore 28 bighas of land and all structures thereon to M/s Santi Ceramics Private Limited. The High Court had reasoned that the Supreme Court’s 2016 ruling in Kedar Nath Yadav v. State of West Bengal entitled all landowners, including business entities, to restitution of their acquired land.
Case Title: The State of West Bengal and Others v. M/s Santi Ceramics Pvt. Ltd. and Another
Bench: Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi
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10. [Green Crackers] The Supreme Court of India has allowed the sale and bursting of green crackers across Delhi NCR between October 18 to 21st. Notably, a bench led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai has laid down time frames wherein the crackers would be burst at designated places. Court has also directed that a patrol team shall conduct regular checks on the green cracker manufacturers, and the QR codes of the green crackers should be uploaded on the website.
Case Title: MC Mehta v. Union of India
Bench: CJI BR Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran
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11. [Sonam Wangchuk] The Supreme Court heard Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of Sonam Wangchuk, in her plea challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA), during which Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union of India, firmly defended the government’s actions and denied any violation of the detainee’s rights. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Wangchuk’s wife raised concerns that notes prepared by Wangchuk for his legal defence were not allowed to be passed on to her. Sibal sought permission for these notes to be delivered, stating they were necessary for legal consultation.
Case Title: Dr. Gitanjali J. Angmo v. Union of India & Ors.
Bench: Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria
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12. [Sale of Sahara assets] The Supreme Court of India sought a response from the Union of India and SEBI on the applications filed by Sahara India seeking to sell its 88 of its properties to Adani Properties Pvt Ltd. These properties include Amby Valley in Maharashtra and Sahara Seher in Lucknow. An application has also been moved by Adani, in support of Sahara's application, seeking to buy the said properties. A bench of CJI BR Gavai, Justice Surya Kant and Justice MM Sundresh directed Sahara India to implead the Ministries of Finance and Corporate Affairs in its application. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union told the bench that the Sahara-Adani land deal needed to be vetted by the government first.
Case Title: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA vs. SUBRATA ROY SAHARA AND ORS.
Bench: CJI, Justices Kant and Sundresh
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13. [PIL] The Supreme Court issued notice on a PIL seeking right of the presence of legal counsel of an individual being questioned / interrogated by the State / investigation agency / investigating officer to be a non-discretionary, non-discriminatory and unalienable right. A bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran has issued notice on a plea filed by lawyer Shaffi Mather which seeks reading the relevant statutory provisions viz. Section 41D- of the CrPC and Section 38 of the BNSS along with the applicable provisions under special laws, such as Section 50 of the PMLA, to include the said interpretation.
Case Title: SHAFFI MATHER vs. UNION OF INDIA
Bench: CJI and Justice Chandran
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14. [Pendency before Allahabad HC] The Supreme Court expressed serious concern over the lack of a concrete mechanism for listing and hearing thousands of pending criminal appeals, many of which involve accused who have been languishing in incarceration for over a decade. The Bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra made the observations after perusing the Report dated September 27, 2025, submitted by the Registrar Judicial (Listing) of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad.
Case Title: Chatra Pal v. State of Uttar Pradesh & Anr.
Bench: Justices Sanjay Kumar and Prashant Kumar Mishra
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15. [Minority Institutions] A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Supreme Court has alleged that amendments made to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) were introduced after a meeting between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and certain Muslim organisations. The Centre, however, has maintained that the 2012 amendment, which inserted Sections 1(4) and 1(5) into the Act, was a measured policy decision aimed at safeguarding minority educational rights guaranteed under Article 30 while continuing to uphold universal education under Article 21-A of the Constitution.
Case Title: Nitin Upadhyay v. Union of India
Bench: Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih
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16. [ICU safety norms] The Supreme Court pulled up 28 States and Union Territories for failing to comply with its directions to frame uniform standards for patient safety in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and critical care facilities. The Court has issued show-cause notices and summoned the top health officials of each defaulting State and UT to appear personally on November 20.
Case Title: Asit Baran Mondal & Anr. vs. Dr. Rita Sinha & Ors.
Bench: Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice NK Singh
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17. [CJI Shoe Hurling incident] The Attorney General for India (AGI) R. Venkataramani has granted consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Advocate Rakesh Kishore, who attempted to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice of India BR Gavai inside the Supreme Court, The development was mentioned before a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant by Senior Advocate and SCBA President Vikas Singh, supported by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
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18. [SSC recruitment scam] The Supreme Court of India allowed the withdrawal of a contempt petition filed against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her comments on a recent supreme court decision concerning the appointment of 23,123 teaching and non-teaching staff in the State made through the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST). A CJI Gavai led bench was told by the counsel before it that instructions were given to withdraw the contempt petition.
Case Title: Aatmadeep vs. Mamata Banerjee
Bench: CJI and Justice Vinod Chandran
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19. [Air India Crash] Father of Late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was the Pilot-in-Command of the ill-fated aircraft, has approached the Supreme Court of India seeking a judicially monitored committee, to be headed by a retired Judge of the Court, with independent experts from the aviation sector as its members, to conduct a fair, transparent, and technically sound investigation into the crash of Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. The petitioner Pushkaraj Sabharwal has alleged that the investigation ordered by Aviation Ministry and the preliminary report dated 15.06.2025 is defective and suffers from serious infirmities and perversities, as the report implausibly asserts the cause of the crash to pilot error, while overlooking other glaring and plausible systemic causes that demand independent scrutiny and investigation of the incident.
Case Title: Pushkaraj Sabharwal and Anr. vs. Union of India and Others
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20. [Bihar SIR] The Election Commission of India (ECI) has firmly denied allegations of discrimination against Muslim voters in Bihar’s electoral roll, calling the claims “false, misleading, and without factual basis.” In its affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the poll body stated that no religion-based or community-based exclusion has taken place and that voter registration and deletion are carried out in accordance with the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Case Title: Association of Democratic Reforms & Ors. v. Election Commission of India
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21. [Nimisha Priya] The Supreme Court was informed by the Attorney General R Venkataramani that a new mediator has been appointed to resolve the issue concerning Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who faces a death sentence in Yemen. "The only good thing is that nothing adverse has happened", a bench of Justices Vikram Natha and Sandeep Mehta was further told. In August the Supreme Court had adjourned by eight weeks the hearing of a PIL filed by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council concerning Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who faces a death sentence in Yemen. Priya, convicted by a Yemeni court, was scheduled for execution on July 16, 2025. Her execution was stayed on July 15 until further orders.
Case Title: Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council v. Union of India & Anr.
Bench: Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta
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22. [Digital Arrest] The Supreme Court taken suo motu cognisance of the alarming surge in ‘digital arrest’ scams after a 73-year-old woman from Ambala alleged she was conned out of more than Rs.1 crore by fraudsters who forged an order purportedly passed by the Supreme Court itself. The Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took up the matter based on a letter addressed to Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai by the complainant. In her representation, she stated that individuals impersonating officials of the CBI, IB, and judiciary contacted her through video calls and phone, producing a fabricated order purportedly issued by former CJI Sanjiv Khanna, falsely claiming that she had been “digitally arrested.” She was coerced into transferring more than Rs. 1 crore for her supposed “release.”
Case Title: In Re: Victims of Digital Arrest Related to Forged Documents
Bench: Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi
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23. [Religious conversion] The Supreme Court has quashed the criminal proceedings initiated against the Vice Chancellor and other officials of the Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Science (SHUATS), Prayagraj, in relation to alleged forced mass religious conversion. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra has quashed the cases registered under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
Case Details: RAJENDRA BIHARI LAL AND ANR. v. STATE OF U.P. AND ORS
Bench: Justices Pardiwala and Misra
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24. [Transgender Rights] The Supreme Court of India has formed an Advisory Committee headed by Justice Asha Menon, Former Judge of the Delhi High Court, for formulating a practical policy draft and/or a report for the consideration of the Union of India, so as to further the transgender rights discourse and give effect to the beneficial provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights Act), 2019 (the 2019 Act). A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan has requested the committee to complete its deliberations and submit the draft policy or the report, as it deems appropriate, within a period of 6 months from the date of the pronouncement of the judgment.
Case Title: JANE KAUSHIK vs. UNION OF INDIA & ORS.
Bench: Justices Pardiwala and Mahadevan
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25. [Mistreatment of Lawyer] Advocate Maria Nedumpara, a lawyer, has written to the Chief Justice of India, B.R. Gavai, and the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Shree Chandrashekhar, raising serious grievances regarding her treatment during a recent hearing before the Bombay High Court. In her letter, Nedumpara recounts an incident on September 29, 2025, involving a case concerning an MSME borrower, listed before a division bench headed by Justice Shyam Suman.
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