Which landmark Supreme Court judgment established the absolute liability of enterprises engaged in hazardous or inherently dangerous industries, superseding the rule of strict liability?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The doctrine of absolute liability was established by the Supreme Court in the landmark M.C. Mehta v. Union of India case in 1987, ruling that enterprises engaged in hazardous industries are strictly and absolutely liable for any escape of toxic substances without exceptions. Other judgments like Kesavananda Bharati dealt with the basic structure doctrine, whereas Maneka Gandhi expanded personal liberty under Article 21. Absolute liability disallows the traditional exceptions permitted under the older strict liability rule.