Supreme Court Daily Digest [1 December 2025]

Chandan Pasi v. State of Bihar; 2025 INSC 1371 - Criminal Trial - S.313 CrPC - Public Prosecutor

Criminal Trial - Public Prosecutor - The prosecutor is an officer of the Court and holds a solemn duty to act in the interest of justice. They cannot act as a defence lawyer, but for the State, with the sole aim of making the gauntlet of punishment fall on the accused.  (Para 9)

Criminal Trial - One of the non-negotiable requirements of a fair trial is that the accused persons should have ample opportunity to dispel the case and claims of the prosecution against them. This ample opportunity can take many forms, whether it is adequate representation through counsel or the opportunity to call witnesses to present their side of the case or to have the occasion to answer each and every allegation against them, on their own, in their own words. The last one happens under Section 313 CrPC. (Para 6) A trial is a function of memory; it is this memory that, when translated into spoken word testimony on oath, becomes evidence, and thus the same is susceptible to the vagaries of time.  (Para 10)

Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 - Section 313- Scope - Referred to precedents, (Para 7)

Rajendra Chakrawarti v. Dinesh Kumar Yadav - Motor Accident Compensation - Mason

Motor Accident Compensation - In professions such as masonry, wherein there can be no guarantee of fixed amount of work or, for that matter, documented payments, the Courts and Tribunals must be careful in determining income, maintaining a judicious balance in taking an amount which is fair to the claimant, while also ensuring that the amount so taken is not lacking basis or that the same is not exorbitant in nature. (Para 10)

Sebati Nath v. Shriram General Insurance Co. Ltd. -Motor Accident Compensation - Assessment of Deceased's income

Motor Accident Compensation - Assessment of Deceased's income -In the absence of documentary evidence on record, some guesswork is required to be done - the strict rules of evidence used in criminal trials do not apply.

Moh. Kamil Patel v. State of Chhattisgarh - S.32B NDPS Act - Driving Without Licence

NDPS Act - Section 32B - Driving a vehicle without a license may be a ground to punish the driver for an offence under the M.V. Act, but that by itself would not be a ground to believe that the offender is involved in other illegal activities facilitating or facilitated by commission of the offence warranting punishment higher than the minimum prescribed in view of clause (f) of Section 32B of the NDPS Act. (Para 9)

Buddhist Personal Law Action Committee v. Union of India - Constitutional Validity Of Statutes - Law Commission of India

Law Commission of India - Law Commission of India is one of the premier non-statutory institutions of this country ordinarily headed by a former Judge of Supreme Court or a former Chief Justice of the High Court. The primary responsibility assigned to the Law Commission is to provide its expert opinions with respect to the amendments/deletion/repeal/enactment of various laws to bring each statute in conformity with our constitutional ethos, values and moralities. (Para 5) [Context: Writ Petition challenging explanation II of article 25 of the constitution of India and section 2 (b) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and Section 2 (b) of the Hindu Adoptions & Maintenance Act, 1956 and Section 2 (b) of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 and Section 3 (b) of the Hindu Minority & Guardianship Act, 1956 in their application to the Buddhist religion - Supreme Court disposed of this writ petition by treating as a representation on behalf of the petitioner-Trust/Committee to the Law Commission of India.