⚖ Supreme Court Monthly Digest – February 2026

1️⃣ Composite Insolvency Petition Maintainable

Case: Satinder Singh Bhasin v. Col. Gautam Mullick

Issue: Whether a single insolvency petition can be filed against multiple related corporate debtors in a real estate project.

Held:

• A single composite petition is maintainable where corporate debtors are connected in the same project.

• Threshold requirement of 100 allottees under Section 7 IBC must be checked on the date of registration of the petition.

• Substitution of petitioners before registration is permissible.

Ratio:
Procedural technicalities should not defeat rights of homebuyers in real estate insolvency matters.

2️⃣ Surrogacy Law – Retrospective Application Not Allowed

Case: Vijaya Kumari S. v. Union of India

Issue: Whether new statutory restrictions under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act can apply retrospectively.

Held:

• Surrogacy restrictions cannot operate retrospectively to defeat vested rights.

• Such retrospective application would violate Article 21 – Right to Life and Personal Liberty.

Principle:
Statutory regulations affecting reproductive rights must respect constitutional protections.

3️⃣ Civil Liability & Consumer Compensation Must Be Evidence-Based

A consumer dispute involving damages claimed for negligence of a salon reached the Supreme Court.

Held:

• Courts must grant compensation based on proven loss, not speculative claims.

• Excessive compensation granted earlier was reduced.

Result:
₹25 lakh compensation awarded instead of the much larger amount claimed.

Principle:
Compensation must be proportionate and supported by evidence.

4️⃣ Hindu Undivided Family Property – Presumption of Joint Family Property

A dispute between brothers regarding HUF land reached the Court.

Held:

• Property purchased during subsistence of joint family may be presumed joint family property if ancestral nucleus exists.

• Person claiming self-acquired property must prove independent source of income.

Outcome:
One brother was granted 5/16th share in the joint family property.

Principle:
Burden lies on the person claiming self-acquired property.

5️⃣ Compliance With Court Orders in Corporate Disputes

In a dispute involving an airline company, the Supreme Court upheld a High Court direction requiring deposit of large amounts during arbitration proceedings.

Held:

• Parties must strictly comply with judicial orders and directions.

• Courts may impose penalties for non-compliance.

Principle:
Judicial orders cannot be ignored in commercial litigation.

📊 Key Legal Principles From February 2026