10 Most Famous and Important Civil Cases in India

Author - Associate Runa Jasia

Many Indian court judgments  are remembered as historical events because of the popular cases in India. India is a developing country, and it is essential to make necessary changes according to the needs of the people, and our judiciary system plays an important role in this to bring some important changes by some important cases in India. In this article we are going to discuss about famous case laws and Leading cases in India.

10 most interesting and Famous cases in India that are full of tragedy:

1.    National Legal Services Authority (NLSA) v. Union of India: 

Petitioner was the NLSA in this case. Other petitioners were Laxmi Narayan Tripathy and Poojaya Mata Nasib Kaur. The Union of India was on the defendant's side. The case was put before a two-judge bench of the Apex Court. The judgment took place on April 15, 2014. The Supreme Court declared the transgender people as the ‘Third Gender.’ It upheld that the same equality and fundamental rights would be provided to transgender people like other people under the Constitution of India. Gender equality in India was reformed in a significant way.

2.    Triple Talaq

Talaq (Arabic word) means divorce. It was used to give instant divorce by saying talaq words for three consecutive times. It was done oral, written, or in electronic form. But this right was only given to all Muslim man in India. A bill called The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was passed by the Modi Government. This bill makes this triple talaq illegal in the whole country. Violating this will lead to 3 years of jail. Lok Sabha passed the bill on December 27, 2018, with strong support after some resistance. It is also, one of the most famous case studies in India discussed approximately in every law chapters

3.    Hussainara Khatoon v. the State of Bihar

On March 9, 1979, this petition was filed by Hussainara Khatoon against the State of Bihar or the Home Secretary. The Supreme Court of India affirmed it. Keeping a large number of people behind bars for a long time, maybe for years, is not considered as fair or reasonable. Poor people are unable to afford money for bail. So this judgment indeed provides a real solution to this problem.

4.    Indian Council for Environment Legal Action v. the Union of India

The PIL was passed by the Supreme Court of India on February 13, 1996. Petitioner party was the Indian Council for the Environment, who was standing against the Union of India. 

An organization brought this grave matter to light in the nation. The way people working in industrial areas or plants in India get affected is a significant matter of concern. They are leading miserable lives. In Udaipur, a village named Bichhri had its conditions change drastically after the establishment of Hindustan Agro Chemicals Limited. The company’s objective of profit has made lots of people find a better life.

5.    Citizens for Democracy v. the State of Assam

On May 1, 1995, the PIL was passed by the Supreme Court of India. Kuldip Singh delivered the Judgment of the Court, “We clearly declare - and it shall be obeyed from the Inspector General of Police and Inspector General of Prisons to the escort constable and the jail warden - that the rule, regarding a prisoner in transit between prison house and courthouse, is freedom from handcuffs and the exception, under conditions of judicial supervision we have indicated earlier, will be restraints with irons, to be justified before or after. We mandate the judicial officer before whom the prisoner is produced to interrogate the prisoner, as a rule, whether he has been subjected to handcuffs or other “irons” treatment and, if he has been, the official concerned shall be asked to explain the action immediately in the light of this judgment.”

6.    Shreya Singhal v. Union of India

Shreya Singhal is an Indian lawyer. In 2015, a judgment was passed by the Supreme Court on freedom of speech in India as given in Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The petitioner was filed by Shreya Singhal, against the Union of India. Section 66A of the Information Technology Act states that:

 “Any person who, using a computer resource or a communication device, sends-

Any electronic mail or electronic mail message to cause annoyance or inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the addressee or recipient about the origin of such messages shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine.”

7.    Sex with a minor wife is rape

The Supreme Court declared sexual intercourse with a minor wife is rape. Even in this generation, there are some areas in India which need to be developed. Section 375 defines rape as sexual intercourse or any of the specified sexual acts with or without the consent between a man and a girl less than 18 years of age. 

8.    Ayodhya dispute

It is one of the famous and most important cases in India. It is a dispute that arose because of a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya. The significant issues are between the community Hindus and Muslims regarding this land about some religious beliefs. The famous Babri Masjid was destroyed during a rally in the year 1992 which is located in the same location. Hindus believe that it is the birthplace of Rama. 

9.    The Shah Bano Case, 1985

At the age of 62, a Muslim woman names Shah Bano was given divorced by her husband in the year 1978. After this divorce, she was not able to handle her five children all alone. So she filed a court case demanding granted maintenance from her husband. It resulted in the passing of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, by the government.

10.    Right to Privacy Is a Fundamental Right

The Supreme Court of India stated that the right to privacy is protected under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. It was declared that “Privacy is the constitutional core of human dignity.”

So, these were some of the most famous case laws in India  including some famous corporate cases in India discussed above. These important cases have drawn some really needed changes in India and Indian History.