This week in Indian law: The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, was introduced in Lok Sabha on April 15, proposing the most significant restructuring of Parliamentary representation since 1976 — expanding Lok Sabha from 543 to 848 seats and Rajya Sabha proportionally, based on the 2026 delimitation exercise. The Supreme Court held in Dhananjay Rathi v. Ruchika Rathi that a spouse cannot unilaterally withdraw consent for mutual divorce after accepting financial benefits under a court-ratified settlement agreement. The nine-judge Constitution Bench continued its Sabarimala review hearing, with opposition arguments from April 14-16 centring on constitutional morality and the essential religious practices doctrine. Eleven significant legal developments this week across legislative policy, Supreme Court jurisprudence, constitutional rights, family law, technology law, criminal law, and regulatory updates.
Top story
Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill: Lok Sabha Debates Expansion to 848 Seats
Category: Legislative & Policy | Date: 15 April 2026 | Score: 15/15
The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, was introduced in Lok Sabha on April 15, proposing to increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 848 and Rajya Sabha seats proportionally, based on the delimitation exercise completed in early 2026. The Bill implements the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission constituted under Article 82 of the Constitution, which used 2023 census data to redraw Parliamentary constituency boundaries for the first time since the freeze imposed by the Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act, 1976.
The Bill also proposes consequential amendments to Articles 81 (composition of Lok Sabha), 82 (readjustment after each census), and 170 (composition of State Legislative Assemblies), along with amendments to the Delimitation Act, 2002, and the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The expansion will require the construction of additional seating infrastructure in Parliament House.
Why it matters: This is the most significant restructuring of India's Parliamentary representation in 50 years. The seat reallocation based on updated population data has triggered intense political debate, with southern states concerned about reduced relative representation despite lower population growth. Constitutional lawyers should note that the Bill requires a two-thirds majority in each House under Article 368, and state-specific seat allocations may face judicial challenge on proportionality grounds.
Court judgments
SC: Spouse Cannot Withdraw Mutual Divorce Consent After Taking Settlement Benefits
Court: Supreme Court of India | Bench: Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Vijay Bishnoi | Date: 13 April 2026
In Dhananjay Rathi v. Ruchika Rathi, the Supreme Court held that a spouse who has accepted financial benefits under a court-ratified mediated settlement agreement cannot subsequently withdraw consent for mutual divorce under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The wife had received Rs 89 lakh under the settlement but later filed a domestic violence complaint and sought to withdraw consent.
Key point: Once a party acts upon a court-ratified settlement — particularly by accepting alimony, property transfers, or withdrawal of criminal complaints — they are legally estopped from resiling from the agreement absent proof of fraud, force, or undue influence.
Nine-Judge Bench: Sabarimala Review Enters Opposition Arguments Phase
Court: Supreme Court of India | Bench: CJI Surya Kant, Justices B.V. Nagarathna, M.M. Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, A.G. Masih, R. Mahadevan, Prasanna B. Varale, and Joymalya Bagchi | Date: 14-16 April 2026
The nine-judge Constitution Bench hearing the Sabarimala review entered its second phase this week, with original writ petitioners opposing the review from April 14-16. The hearing schedule allocates April 7-9 for review petitioners, April 14-16 for opposition arguments, and April 21 for rejoinder. The bench is examining three core questions: (1) what is the scope of "morality" under Articles 25 and 26, and does it include "constitutional morality"; (2) whether the essential religious practices (ERP) doctrine should be reformulated; and (3) whether sex-based exclusions in religious practice face strict scrutiny under Article 15. Sixty-six matters are tagged to this reference, including cases on the right of Muslim women to enter mosques, Parsi women to enter fire temples after inter-faith marriage, and the practice of female genital mutilation.
Key point: The outcome will define the constitutional boundary between religious autonomy and gender equality for decades — the broadest religious freedom hearing since the original Sabarimala judgment of 2018.
SC Issues Notice on DPDP Act Section 44(3) Challenge
Court: Supreme Court of India | Date: 13 April 2026
The Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre on a petition challenging Section 44(3) of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which exempts personal data from disclosure under the Right to Information Act, 2005. The petitioners argue that the blanket override of RTI provisions unconstitutionally restricts the fundamental right to information and lacks a proportionality safeguard. The Centre has been given eight weeks to file a counter-affidavit.
Key point: This is the first direct constitutional challenge to the DPDP Act to reach the Supreme Court, and its outcome will determine the balance between data privacy and transparency.
SC Notice on MSP Fixation at Actual Cultivation Cost
Court: Supreme Court of India | Date: 13 April 2026
The Supreme Court issued notice to the Central Government on a petition by farmers' organisations seeking a direction that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for agricultural produce be fixed at the C2 (comprehensive cost of cultivation) formula — which includes imputed rent on land, interest on fixed capital, and family labour — rather than the current A2+FL formula. The petitioners contended that the existing MSP methodology does not cover the full cost of production, violating Article 21 (right to livelihood) and Article 39(b) (equitable distribution of material resources).
Key point: If the Court directs C2-based MSP, it could increase procurement prices by 20-30% across major crops — a development with significant fiscal and agricultural policy implications.
SC Suspends Anosh Ekka Sentence, Flags Dual CBI Prosecution
Court: Supreme Court of India | Date: 13 April 2026
The Supreme Court suspended the sentence of former Jharkhand Minister Anosh Ekka, convicted in a disproportionate assets case, after observing that the CBI had filed two separate chargesheets arising from the same investigation — one under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and another under the Indian Penal Code — against the same accused for substantially overlapping facts. The Bench raised concerns about the propriety of dual prosecution and granted bail pending the appeal hearing.
Key point: The Court's observations on dual prosecution by the CBI could set parameters for when separate chargesheets from the same investigation constitute an abuse of process.
SC Collegium Recommends Five High Court Judges
Court: Supreme Court of India | Date: 14 April 2026
The Supreme Court Collegium headed by CJI Surya Kant recommended the appointment of five High Court judges — three for the Karnataka High Court and two for the Kerala High Court. The recommendations have been forwarded to the Union Government for processing. The Karnataka HC currently has 12 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 62, and the Kerala HC has 8 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 47.
Key point: The Collegium continues to prioritise filling High Court vacancies, which stand at 30% nationally across all 25 High Courts as of April 2026.
Legislative and policy developments
Transgender Persons Amendment Act 2026 Challenged in Supreme Court
Date: April 2026
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026, which received Presidential assent in late March. The Amendment replaces self-perceived gender identity with medical board verification, restricts recognition to individuals with intersex variations or specific socio-cultural identities (kinner, hijra, aravani, jogta), and penalises "compelling" or "alluring" a person to present as transgender with penalties up to life imprisonment. The petitioners contend that the medical verification requirement violates the right to self-determination of gender identity recognised by the Supreme Court in NALSA v. Union of India (2014).
Regulatory updates
CBIC Issues Fresh Instructions for SEZ Cargo Rerouting Amid Hormuz Crisis
Date: 14 April 2026
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) issued fresh instructions permitting the cancellation of Let Export Orders (LEOs) and shipping bills for SEZ export cargo affected by the Strait of Hormuz maritime disruption. The instructions allow cargo to be returned to the exporter or rerouted through alternative ports without incurring additional duties or penalties. The relief measures remain in force until April 30, 2026. India was among five nations permitted to transit the Strait after March 26, but significant shipping delays and insurance cost increases have disrupted trade flows.
Also this week
Delhi Court grants interim bail to Khalid Saifi in 2020 riots larger conspiracy case — Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai granted six days of interim bail (April 15-20) to attend family weddings, with conditions including a Rs 20,000 bond, ban on social media, and restriction to Delhi-NCR. Source
SC grants bail to undertrial after nearly two years without trial — The Court observed that continued incarceration without commencement of trial amounts to punishment and violates Article 21, granting bail to an accused detained since 2024. Source
SEBI extends observation letter validity till September 30 — Observation letters expiring between April-September 2026 automatically extended, providing relief to companies with pending IPO and rights issue plans amid market volatility from the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Source
By the numbers
- 848 — Proposed Lok Sabha seats under the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, up from the current 543 — a 56% increase
- 66 — Matters tagged to the nine-judge Sabarimala reference, making it one of the largest constitutional benches by case volume in recent SC history
- ₹89 lakh — Amount accepted under the mediated settlement in Dhananjay Rathi v. Ruchika Rathi before the wife attempted to withdraw divorce consent — the SC held she was estopped
Looking ahead
- Monday, 21 April: Sabarimala nine-judge bench reconvenes for rejoinder submissions — expected to conclude arguments by April 22
- 21-24 April: Uttarakhand Judiciary Mains examination (Civil Judge JD) — four-day descriptive exam covering civil, criminal, revenue, and language papers
- 26 April: Bombay High Court screening test for 2,831 Clerk, Stenographer, Peon, and Driver posts — one of the largest HC recruitment drives of 2026
This is the Veritect Weekly Legal Roundup for Week 16, 2026 (April 13-19). For daily updates, visit our legal news page. Subscribe to receive this roundup every Monday morning.
Veritect provides this content for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.