Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala
(1973) 4 SCC 225 · 1973 · 13 judges · Constitutional
Parliament can amend the Constitution but cannot destroy its basic structure.
Landmark Supreme Court Judgments of India with Citations
These Supreme Court rulings shape everyday law in India — from arrest and bail to property, privacy and family rights. Each entry gives the official law report citation, bench strength and the principle laid down. Always read the full judgment from the official source before citing it.
Reviewed against official texts · Last updated October 2026
Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India
(1978) 1 SCC 248 · 1978 · 7 judges · Fundamental rights
Procedure depriving personal liberty under Article 21 must be just, fair and reasonable; Articles 14, 19 and 21 are interlinked.
Indra Sawhney v. Union of India
1992 Supp (3) SCC 217 · 1992 · 9 judges · Reservation
Upheld OBC reservation, excluded the creamy layer and set a general 50% ceiling.
S.R. Bommai v. Union of India
(1994) 3 SCC 1 · 1994 · 9 judges · Federalism
Proclamations under Article 356 are subject to judicial review; majority must be tested on the floor of the House; secularism is basic structure.
D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal
(1997) 1 SCC 416 · 1997 · 2 judges · Criminal procedure
Mandatory safeguards on arrest and detention: arrest memo, informing relatives, medical examination — now reflected in the BNSS.
Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan
(1997) 6 SCC 241 · 1997 · 3 judges · Workplace
Guidelines against sexual harassment at the workplace, later enacted as the POSH Act, 2013.
Suraj Lamp & Industries v. State of Haryana
(2012) 1 SCC 656 · 2012 · 3 judges · Property
Sale agreement, GPA and will transactions do not transfer title to immovable property; only a registered sale deed does.
Lalita Kumari v. Govt. of U.P.
(2014) 2 SCC 1 · 2013 · 5 judges · Criminal procedure
Registration of an FIR is mandatory when information discloses a cognizable offence; preliminary enquiry only in limited categories.
Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar
(2014) 8 SCC 273 · 2014 · 2 judges · Arrest
No automatic arrest for offences punishable up to 7 years; police must follow the checklist and notice of appearance.
Dashrath Rupsingh Rathod v. State of Maharashtra
(2014) 9 SCC 129 · 2014 · 3 judges · Cheque bounce
Territorial jurisdiction for Section 138 cases; later altered by the 2015 amendment adding Section 142(2).
Shreya Singhal v. Union of India
(2015) 5 SCC 1 · 2015 · 2 judges · Free speech
Struck down Section 66A of the IT Act as unconstitutionally vague.
Shayara Bano v. Union of India
(2017) 9 SCC 1 · 2017 · 5 judges · Family law
Instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) is invalid.
K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India
(2017) 10 SCC 1 · 2017 · 9 judges · Privacy
Right to privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21.
Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India
(2018) 10 SCC 1 · 2018 · 5 judges · Equality
Decriminalised consensual same-sex relations between adults by reading down Section 377 IPC.
Joseph Shine v. Union of India
(2019) 3 SCC 39 · 2018 · 5 judges · Criminal law
Struck down adultery (Section 497 IPC) as unconstitutional.
Arjun Panditrao Khotkar v. Kailash Kushanrao Gorantyal
(2020) 7 SCC 1 · 2020 · 3 judges · Evidence
Certificate under Section 65B (now Section 63 BSA) is mandatory for secondary electronic evidence.
Vineeta Sharma v. Rakesh Sharma
(2020) 9 SCC 1 · 2020 · 3 judges · Succession
Daughters are coparceners by birth regardless of whether the father was alive on 9 September 2005.
Rajnesh v. Neha
(2021) 2 SCC 324 · 2020 · 2 judges · Maintenance
Guidelines on maintenance: affidavit of assets, adjustment of overlapping orders, maintenance from date of application.
Satender Kumar Antil v. CBI
(2022) 10 SCC 51 · 2022 · 2 judges · Bail
Bail is the rule; categorised offences and guidelines for bail and compliance with arrest safeguards.
Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India (Electoral Bonds)
2024 INSC 113 · 2024 · 5 judges · Elections
Electoral Bond Scheme struck down for violating voters’ right to information under Article 19(1)(a).
Sita Soren v. Union of India
2024 INSC 161 · 2024 · 7 judges · Parliamentary privilege
Legislators do not enjoy immunity from prosecution for taking bribes to vote or speak; overruled P.V. Narasimha Rao.
This page explains the law in general terms and is not legal advice. Rates, sections and timelines are taken from official texts; confirm the current position for your facts with an advocate before acting.
Official sources
Criminal timelines are strict, and the right section number changes your remedy. You can BNS section explorer with IPC equivalents, compare options through our anticipatory bail lawyers, or go straight to court deadline calculator. Always cross-check rules on the Supreme Court of India judgments and the India Code for official Bare Acts before you act.