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 moreA young girl (referred to as "Ms. K") went missing from a wedding function in Kathgodam, Uttarakhand, in November 2014. Days later, her body was discovered, and the prosecution's case rested on circumstantial evidence linking accused-appellant Akhtar Ali and co-accused Prem Pal Verma to her kidnapping, sexual assault, and death. The trial court convicted Akhtar Ali under Sections 376A, 363 and 201 IPC, provisions of the POCSO Act, and the IT Act, sentencing him to death; Prem Pal Verma was convicted for harbouring the offender and a cyber offence. The Uttarakhand High Court partly upheld these convictions, affirming the death sentence for Akhtar Ali. Both convicts appealed to the Supreme Court by special leave.
The Supreme Court undertook a detailed re-examination of the chain of circumstantial evidence relied upon by the prosecution and found it riddled with infirmities and gaps that did not conclusively establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Court held that the "links in the chain of circumstances" had been broken, meaning the prosecution failed to prove its case to the standard required in a case built entirely on circumstantial evidence, particularly serious given the death sentence involved. The Court set aside the judgments of both the trial court and the High Court, acquitted both accused-appellants of all charges, and ordered their immediate release if not required in any other case.
In cases resting solely on circumstantial evidence, especially those carrying the death penalty, every link in the chain must be proved beyond reasonable doubt with no room for gaps; courts will not sustain a conviction, however serious the alleged crime, if the evidentiary chain is broken.
