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 State of Bihar invited open bids for the settlement of the Ghurandera Kilagarai river ferry ghat (crossing) for 2008-09. The appellant-society took part in the auction, was present when the highest bid was accepted, and deposited part of the bid amount under protest, but later challenged the auction notice itself, asking the Court to instead apply an older, lower rate fixed by a District Level Reserve Jama Committee. The Patna High Court's Division Bench had set aside a Single Judge order and upheld the Collector's auction and demand for the balance bid amount.
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, holding that having participated in the auction without challenge, accepted the settlement under the Dak (bidding) process, and even gone on to win auctions for other ghats at even higher amounts, the appellant-society could not turn around and contest the validity of this particular auction. The Court held that the Circle Officer's acceptance of the District Committee's recommendation and the open-bid evaluation process (mandatory every third year) was proper, and that disputed questions about bid amounts were not matters for writ jurisdiction to re-examine. The appellant was left free to be pursued for recovery of the unpaid balance of the bid amount, with liberty to the State to proceed for recovery.
A bidder who participates in a public auction without objection, accepts the outcome, and benefits from the same process elsewhere cannot later challenge that very auction after losing: courts will not reopen factual/commercial disputes over bid amounts under writ jurisdiction.
