The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of a Class 8 NCERT social science textbook chapter referring to corruption in the judiciary and imposed a complete ban on its publication, reprinting, and digital circulation.

The Court ordered the seizure of all physical copies and directed that no instruction be imparted based on the book. 

It issued a show-cause notice to the NCERT Director and the Secretary of School Education, Ministry of Education, asking why action under the Contempt of Courts Act should not be initiated.

The Court observed that the content may amount to criminal contempt if it deliberately scandalised the judiciary.

The Gujarat HC ruled that a Hindu mother’s right to custody of her child up to five years old cannot be defeated by a settlement deed between parents.

The case involved a mother whose daughter had lived with her since the couple’s separation. The father later took the child without formal consent, prompting the mother’s habeas corpus petition. 

The HC held that the father’s unilateral action was unjustified. For granting custody of young children, child welfare and continuity of care should be prioritised over informal agreements.

The court ordered that the minor be restored to the mother’s custody, allowing the father to pursue formal custody orders in the appropriate court.

[Kinjal D/O Hareshkumar Panchal v. State Of Gujarat & Ors.]

The Kerala High Court denied anticipatory bail to a part-time shanti accused of embezzling sale proceeds of Adiya Sishtam Ghee at Sabarimala.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau registered the FIR based on a Division Bench order in a suo motu case that flagged alleged misappropriation of around Rs 35 lakh.

The prosecution alleged that the accused misappropriated Rs 1.08 lakh and, along with others, Rs 47,600. The Court held that custodial interrogation was necessary for the recovery of the money and effective investigation.

It directed the accused to surrender before the Investigating Officer.

[Jithusooraj S.K. v. State of Kerala]

The Rajasthan High Court dismissed a husband’s habeas corpus petition alleging his wife kept a baby in illegal detention, calling it not maintainable and an abuse of legal process.

The Court observed that the complaint was already pending before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate and that the petitioner failed to justify invoking its writ jurisdiction belatedly.

It held that no case of illegal detention was made out since the child was with the mother and biological father, and the petitioner was not the biological father. 

The court imposed a ₹50,000 fine to be deposited with the Mukhyamantri Vidyadaan Kosh.

The Supreme Court closed its 2021 suo-motu proceedings on river pollution, holding that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) should ensure continuous monitoring.

The Court observed that despite numerous orders, cleaning rivers remains a firm challenge as implementation often fails to meet expectations.

The Court observed that the NGT, as a specialised environmental tribunal, is better equipped to oversee compliance and sewage treatment. The Bench further held that parallel proceedings in multiple forums can create confusion and hinder uniformity.

The Court directed the CPCB and other relevant authorities to submit regular status reports to the NGT to ensure proper implementation of environmental laws and standards.

The Telangana High Court imposed a ₹1 lakh fine on the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) for arbitrarily erecting a fence on two private plots in Mallapur despite existing civil court decrees confirming ownership by petitioners.

The Court termed the action “high-handed” and directed the fence’s immediate removal, warning that HYDRAA would have to pay ₹1 lakh per day in additional penalties until compliance.

The fine is to be paid as damages to the petitioners, and the matter is now listed for compliance reporting.

The Supreme Court held that a document cannot be termed forged merely because it is not traceable in official records after several years.

The case arose from an FIR alleging that the appellants submitted a forged letter from an Executive Magistrate to establish title in a property dispute.

The Allahabad HC had refused to quash the case. Setting aside that order, the Court observed that a document qualifies as forged only if it satisfies the ingredients of Section 464 IPC relating to making a false document.

It held that non-traceability alone does not establish forgery and quashed the criminal proceedings.

[Catalyst Trusteeship Ltd. v. Ecstasy Reality Pvt. Ltd]

The Delhi High Court said that a person or organisation cannot be forced into arbitration if they did not sign the contract, even if they benefit from the project.

Arbitration is based on agreement between parties, and only those who agreed to it can be included.

The Court clarified that just being the “ultimate beneficiary” of a project is not enough to make someone part of an arbitration case.

In this matter, the Court removed the Indian Institute of Management Jammu from the arbitration proceedings, as it was not a signatory to the contract.

[M/s Ramacivil India Construction Pvt Ltd v. Central Public Works Department & Anr.]

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has reconstituted the three-member panel investigating Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court.

The inquiry relates to unaccounted burnt cash found at his official residence in Delhi in March 2025. The original panel included Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, who is retiring, prompting the reconstitution.

The new committee, effective March 6, 2026, includes Justice Arind Kumar (Supreme Court), Justice Shree Chandrashekhar (Bombay High Court), and Senior Advocate B.V. Acharya.

The panel will continue examining evidence under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, before possible impeachment.

The Supreme Court held that Rooh Afza is classifiable as a fruit drink under the UPVAT Act and taxable at the concessional rate of 4%, rejecting the State’s decision to tax it at 12.5% under a residuary entry.

The dispute arose after tax authorities treated the product as a “non-fruit syrup/sharbat” based on its regulatory description.

The Court observed that marketing or licensing labels do not determine tax classification. It held that the product’s composition, essential character, and commercial identity must guide classification.

Allowing the appeal, the Court set aside the Allahabad HC judgments.

[M/s Hamdard (Wakf) Laboratories v. Commissioner, Commercial Tax, U.P.]

The Karnataka High Court cautioned against the growing misuse of Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, to criminalise consensual sexual relationships after breakups.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna observed that such cases are “mushrooming” before the Court, where allegations of false promise of marriage are invoked once relationships sour.

Granting interim relief, the Court stayed investigation and ordered the accused’s release from custody, noting that the relationship appeared consensual.

It also expressed concern over routine arrests in such cases merely because the offence carries a maximum sentence of ten years.

The Delhi HC, while deciding a revision petition, held that the law must recognise the economic value of the unpaid household work done by a homemaker wife.

The capacity to earn and actually earning are two different concepts; mere capacity to earn cannot be a ground to deny maintenance.

The case stems from a marriage, wherein the husband left the wife and the child to settle in Kuwait in August 2020. Family Court under Section 125 CrPC granted interim maintenance of Rs 50,000 to the wife and Rs 40,000 for the Child.

The HC upheld the order as balanced and reasonable.

[Rakesh Ray v. Priti Ray]

[Noor Mohammad v. State NCT of Delhi]