Top Supreme Court Criminal Law Judgments – April 2025 | LegalWiki
Key Supreme Court and High Court Rulings in Criminal Law
In April 2025, the Supreme Court and various High Courts across India pronounced several crucial judgments in the field of criminal law. These rulings have far-reaching implications for criminal jurisprudence, law enforcement procedures, and the protection of individual rights. Below is a summary of the most significant decisions:
Supreme Court Rules That Delay Alone Is Not a Ground to Quash FIR for Offences Punishable With Over Three Years' Imprisonment
The Supreme Court clarified that mere delay in filing cannot be a valid reason to quash criminal cases involving offences punishable with more than three years of imprisonment. Citing Sections 468 and 469 of the CrPC, the Court emphasized that these provisions do not bar the prosecution of cognizable offences. Read here
Supreme Court Orders Release of Woman Who Killed Her Daughters, Citing Mental Health Issues
In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court released a Chhattisgarh woman who killed her two daughters in 2015, citing her mental condition and lack of awareness in rural India. Her conviction was reduced from murder (IPC 302) to culpable homicide not amounting to murder (IPC 304 Part II). Read here
Senthil Balaji Resigns as Tamil Nadu Minister Following Supreme Court Ultimatum
Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji resigned from the state cabinet after the Supreme Court gave him an ultimatum: step down or lose bail in a money laundering case. Accused in a cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as Transport Minister, Balaji had been granted bail in September 2024 with the condition he remain out of office. His return to the Cabinet raised concerns of witness tampering. Read here
Allahabad High Court Denies Protection Under Section 197 CrPC, States Police Uniform No Shield for Criminal Acts
The Allahabad High Court declined to quash charges against four Uttar Pradesh police officers accused of assaulting a doctor and his associates, ruling that actions outside the scope of official duty are not covered by Section 197 CrPC. Read here
Court Affirms That Charge Sheets and Suspension Orders Issued on Holidays Remain Legally Valid
Case name: Indra Dudi v State of Rajasthan & Ors
The Rajasthan High Court upheld the chargesheet and suspension order issued to a Panchayati Samiti Pradhan on a holiday, stating that government offices operate continuously and no law forbids official orders on non-working days. The Pradhan’s suspension followed a preliminary inquiry revealing financial irregularities. Read here
Punjab & Haryana High Court Grants Bail to Accused in OP Jindal Students' Death Case
Case name: Manan Aggarwal v. State of Haryana
The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted bail to 20-year-old Manan Aggarwal, accused in the 2024 road accident that led to the deaths of two OP Jindal Global Law School students. In November 2024, the trial court charged him under Sections 114 and 304 of the IPC. Read here
J&K High Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to 74-Year-Old Accused in Rape Case Filed by Daughter-in-Law
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court granted ad-interim anticipatory bail to a 74-year-old man accused by his daughter-in-law of rape and assault. The FIR claimed he, along with his wife, had outraged her modesty and assaulted her. A challan was filed under Sections 333, 64, 76, 115(2), and 352 of the BNS. Read here
Gujarat HC quashes cruelty FIR, ruling husband's girlfriend isn't a 'relative' under Section 498A IPC
The Gujarat High Court dismissed an FIR filed under Section 498A IPC against a woman accused of subjecting her alleged boyfriend's wife to cruelty. The complainant claimed mental and physical abuse, alleging the woman had an affair with her husband. Read here
Supreme Court Affirms Life Sentences in Landmark Tamil Nadu Honour Killing Case
On April 28, the Supreme Court upheld the convictions in the Kannagi-Murugesan honour killing case from Tamil Nadu, dismissing appeals from eight convicts against the Madras High Court's 2022 judgment. The case involved the 2003 murder of inter-caste couple S Murugesan (Dalit) and D Kannagi (Vanniyar), who were poisoned and burned by Kannagi's family. Read here
The Madhya Pradesh High Court upheld the acquittal of a husband, ruling that marital rape is not recognized as a crime under the IPC
The Madhya Pradesh High Court upheld the acquittal of a man accused by his wife of unnatural sexual intercourse, cruelty, and dowry demands. The wife had lodged an FIR under Sections 498-A, 377, 323, 294, 506, 34 IPC, along with Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. Read here
Bombay High Court Directs Mumbai Police Not to Arrest Kunal Kamra Over Eknath Shinde Remarks
On April 25, the Bombay High Court instructed the Mumbai Police not to arrest stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra in connection with the FIR filed over his "gaddar" remark against Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. While permitting the police investigation to continue, the Court ordered that any questioning of Kamra be conducted in Chennai, his place of residence, with prior notice. Read here
Supreme Court: Res Judicata Applies in Criminal Cases Too, with Full Trial Findings
Case Name: S.C. Garg vs. State of Uttar Pradesh & Anr.
The Supreme Court clarified that the principle of res judicata applies to criminal cases where previous proceedings ended with merit-based findings following a full trial. In this case, the accused was convicted under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act (NI Act) for dishonouring a cheque, with the court rejecting the defence of payment through demand drafts as baseless. Read here
The Delhi High Court ruled that a DNA report alone does not prove rape without establishing a lack of consent
Case Name: Nathu v. State
The Delhi High Court ruled that a DNA report confirming paternity does not automatically indicate the absence of consent in a rape case. The bench emphasized that under Section 376 IPC, lack of consent must be proven, and pregnancy alone does not establish rape. Read here
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