Top Criminal Law Judgments – May 2025 | LegalWiki

Key Supreme Court and High Court Rulings in Criminal Law

In May 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:

Mumbai Man Sentenced to Four Months for Pet Dog Biting Neighbor in Lift

A Mumbai magistrate court has sentenced Rishab Patel, a 40-year-old resident of Worli, to four months of rigorous imprisonment after his pet Husky bit neighbor Ramik Shah inside a residential lift in 2018. Read More

MP High Court: Forcing Unnatural Sex on Wife Is Cruelty, Not Rape or Unnatural Offence

The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that if a husband forces his wife into unnatural sex without her consent and assaults her for resisting, it amounts to cruelty under Section 498A of the IPC, even in the absence of dowry demands.Read More

Supreme Court Quashes Rape Case Against Man, Says Promise of Marriage to Married Woman Not Legally Valid

The Supreme Court has quashed a rape case against a 25-year-old man accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a married woman under the pretext of a false promise of marriage.The bench observed that the relationship was consensual and lasted over a year, with no evidence of force or threats.  Read More

Supreme Court Grants Interim Bail to 23 Year Old Influencer in Rape Case

The Supreme Court granted interim bail to 23-year-old social media influencer Harash Kumar, accused of raping a 40-year-old woman.The Court observed that the relationship between the accused and the complainant appeared consensual . Read More

ANI Files Defamation Suit Against Mohak Mangal, Kunal Kamra, & Mohammed Zubair Over Extortion Allegations

Asian News International (ANI) filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against YouTuber Mohak Mangal, alleging that his recent video falsely accused the agency of extortion and blackmail.  Read More

Delhi HC Upholds Advocate’s Conviction for Threatening Woman Judge

The Delhi High Court upheld the conviction of advocate Sanjay Rathore for threatening and outraging the modesty of a woman judge during court proceedings in 2015.Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma called it an attack on judicial decorum and institutional integrity. Read More

Gauhati High Court Rejects PIL Seeking Compulsory Castration For Rape Convicts

The Gauhati High Court dismissed a PIL seeking laws mandating compulsory castration for gang rape, rape-murder, and minor rape cases in Assam. The petitioner also requested pepper spray distribution, fast-track trials with the death penalty like Andhra’s Disha Act, and adoption of West Bengal’s Aparajita Bill. Read More

Supreme Court: No Need to Separately Explain Arrest Grounds, if Arrest is Made on Warrant

The Supreme Court has ruled that when someone is arrested through a court-issued warrant, there's no separate need to explain the reasons for the arrest. This decision came in a case where a father claimed his son was illegally arrested without being informed of the grounds. Read More

Delhi Court Closes Case Against Ex-Wrestling Chief Brij Bhushan Singh in Minor’s Sexual Harassment Case

A Delhi court has accepted the police’s closure report in the sexual harassment case filed by a minor wrestler against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The police concluded the case lacked corroborative evidence, citing a statement from the girl’s father admitting the complaint was false. Read More

Juvenile Justice Takes Precedence Over NIA Act: MP High Court

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that a juvenile accused in the 2017 Bhopal-Ujjain train blast must be tried in a Children's Court, not a special NIA court.  The 17-year-old, found fit for adult trial by the Juvenile Justice Board, was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other laws. Read More

Supreme Court Acquits Mentally Ill Accused, Rules Lunatics Cannot Be Convicted

The Supreme Court acquitted a man charged with murder under Section 302 IPC because he was found mentally ill at the time of the crime. The Court said that a mentally unsound person cannot be held responsible for a crime since they cannot defend themselves, protecting their right under Article 21. Read More

Outraging Modesty of Woman's Modesty in Public is a Serious Crime, Can’t Be Quashed by Compromise: P&H HC

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has ruled that outraging a woman’s modesty in public is a serious, non-compoundable offence, under Section 354 IPC, and cannot be quashed merely due to a compromise between parties. Read More

Supreme Court: ‘Last Seen’ Theory Alone Can’t Prove Murder Conviction Without Strong Evidence

The Supreme Court set aside a conviction under Section 302 IPC, emphasizing that the "last seen together" theory alone is insufficient to sustain a murder conviction unless supported by strong corroborative evidence. Read More

Supreme Court Upholds Juvenile Status Based on School Records, Not Medical Tests

The Supreme Court ruled that documentary evidence like school and municipal birth certificates must be prioritized over medical tests when determining the age of an accused under the Juvenile Justice Act.. Read More

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