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.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1094
An older qualification must still satisfy the eligibility rules governing the appointment sought. Here, the certificate's early date did not secure reinstatement, and rejection of eligibility should not be confused with a conclusive finding that the certificate was forged.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1095
A party benefiting from a conditional stay must meet its deposit requirement or face enforcement. The additional ₹15 crore deposit secures the pending dispute; it does not settle the land's final compensation or amount to an immediate payment to the landowners.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1093
An alleged attempt to kill does not become a lesser offence simply because the victim avoided a fatal injury. Restoring this charge means the accusation must be tried; it does not establish that the accused is guilty.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1090
For the assessment in this case, assistance reducing ordinary manufacturing costs was taxable even though the government wanted to encourage industry. The purpose and actual operation of the particular subsidy mattered more than its general development label.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1091
Proof that someone caused a serious injury does not by itself prove the additional ingredients of robbery. A court can substitute a lesser offence supported by the evidence; the sentencing reduction here depended on Appa's particular circumstances.
Special Leave Petition (Civil) · 2026 INSC 1092
Someone challenging an election must ensure that the personal-presentation requirement is met and can be proved. Merely entering the court building does not establish compliance, and a filing defect can end the challenge before the election allegations are examined.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1088
An employee who retires on 30 June may be entitled to the increment that falls due on 1 July after completing a year of service. Authorities that delay paying the amounts due must pay interest after the deadline set by the court.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1089
Recruitment must follow the qualifications stated in the advertisement and the governing Recruitment Rules. A court will not override a merit-based eligibility decision made under those rules merely because the candidate concerned was higher in the written test.
Writ Petition (Criminal) · 2026:DHC:8797
A person who occupied property only because of employment has no independent right to remain once the employment and decree end. Even when a petition fails, courts can make practical arrangements to let a person recover personal belongings.
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Log in to see moreThe appellant, Abhishek Singh, had pledged 254 grams of gold ornaments with a Bank of India branch to secure a loan of ₹7,70,000. After he repaid the outstanding amount (with some delay), the bank got the gold revalued by a different valuer, who reported that the pledged material was not genuine gold but gold-plated metal. When the appellant sought return of his gold, the bank instead pursued a case against him, and he in turn filed an FIR against the bank's Branch and Credit Manager and others alleging cheating and criminal breach of trust. The High Court of Judicature at Patna quashed that FIR under Section 482 CrPC, prompting this appeal.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court had improperly quashed the FIR at the threshold stage. It noted that once the loan was fully repaid, there was no satisfactory explanation for why the bank proceeded to revalue and auction the gold, and that the High Court's reasoning had failed to address the possibility that bank officials or the valuers were themselves involved in misappropriating the pledged gold. Since the gold remained in the bank's exclusive custody throughout and no independent third-party verification of the second valuation was done, the Court found a prima facie case was made out that warranted investigation and trial rather than summary quashing. The FIR proceedings were accordingly revived and restored to the trial court, with no opinion expressed on the ultimate guilt or innocence of the accused.
Courts will not quash a criminal complaint at the FIR stage merely because the underlying dispute has civil/contractual overtones (like a bank loan). If the facts disclose a prima facie criminal element, especially involving property held in the custody of the other party, the matter must go to trial rather than being cut short.
