Real judgements, distilled
Court judgements broken down into the case type, how the decision played out, and the lesson worth remembering, with the full judgement available as a PDF.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1073
In circumstantial-evidence cases, forensic and DNA evidence must actually corroborate the alleged crime: a conviction cannot survive where the most crucial scientific evidence, on its own terms, points away from rather than toward the prosecution's theory.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1074
A conviction based purely on circumstantial evidence requires every link in the chain, timeline, witness credibility, forensic matches, and motive, to be proven beyond reasonable doubt; gaps or suppressed evidence at any link entitle the accused to the benefit of the doubt, even in a serious case like a double murder.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8505
Courts will not quash a criminal case merely because the accused has a plausible alibi-type defence; unless that defence is conclusive and undisputed, the matter must be tested through the ordinary trial process.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8547
A private compromise between victim and accused cannot by itself secure quashing of a case involving serious, heinous allegations like attempted murder with a weapon: such matters must proceed to trial regardless of settlement.
First Appeal from Order · 2026:DHC:8563
Railway Claims Tribunals cannot reject a bona fide passenger's death claim based on speculative inferences when there is no direct evidence of an alternative cause of death; the compensation scheme under the Railways Act is to be interpreted generously in favour of victims' families.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8559
In matrimonial offences, courts can and do quash criminal proceedings once a genuine compromise is verified directly with the complainant, sparing both parties a prolonged and pointless trial.
Bail Application · 2026:DHC:8541
A co-accused's bail does not automatically extend to another accused where their actual roles in the offence differ materially; delay caused by one's own defence counsel cannot later be used as a ground for bail.
Execution Petition · 2026:DHC:8567
An arbitral award must be adequately stamped before a court can enforce it; courts give only a limited window to cure such defects, after which the award becomes legally unusable until the deficiency is fixed.
Arbitration Petition · 2026:DHC:8555
A genuine settlement reached through mediation renders a pending arbitration-related court petition moot, allowing parties to close out litigation quickly once they resolve their dispute privately.
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Legal Case Shots is a searchable database of Supreme Court of India judgments, each broken down into the case type, the court's key holding, and a practical lesson learnt, with the full judgment available as a PDF for citation or deeper reading.
In 2007, the respondent agreed to buy about 12.77 acres of land from the appellants for roughly Rs 2 crore, paying Rs 75 lakh as an advance, with the balance to follow once the land was measured and documents verified. When the sale did not go through, the respondent sued for specific performance. The trial court found the respondent had not proved he was truly ready and willing to pay the remaining amount and instead ordered the appellants to refund the advance with interest; the Kerala High Court reversed this on appeal and directed the appellants to execute the sale deed.
The Supreme Court restored the trial court's view. It held the respondent had not shown continued financial capacity to pay the large balance consideration, and, crucially, had separately agreed to sell the very same property to a third party while his sale agreement with the appellants was still pending, undermining his claim to have been bona fide ready and willing to complete the purchase, which is a legal precondition for specific performance. The Court set aside the High Court's judgment and restored denial of specific performance, but to protect the respondent's interests, directed the appellants to refund the Rs 75 lakh advance with interest (at a higher rate if delayed), secured by a charge over the property.
Specific performance of a property sale agreement is a discretionary remedy that courts will grant only where the buyer proves genuine, continuing readiness and willingness, including the actual ability to pay the balance price. Entering into a competing deal for the same property while a court case is pending can defeat that claim.
