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 appellants' land in Chandapora village, Srinagar, was acquired in 1997-99 for resettling families displaced from the Dal Lake. The Collector fixed compensation at a low rate, and a Reference Court raised it only to Rs. 2,50,000 per Kanal, rejecting the landowners' claim for Rs. 4,00,000 per Kanal. Landowners in the adjacent villages of Bhagichandpora and Pazwalpora, whose land was acquired at the same time for the exact same public purpose, had separately been awarded the higher rate of Rs. 4,00,000 per Kanal by different Reference Courts. The High Court upheld the lower compensation for the appellants.
The Supreme Court examined evidence (including RTI records and a site plan) showing the three villages were adjacent, bordering each other, and acquired for an identical purpose around the same time. Relying on its own precedents holding that similarly situated landowners whose lands are acquired for the same purpose should not be discriminated against, the Court found no justification for paying the appellants less than their neighbours. It set aside the High Court's judgment and enhanced the appellants' compensation to Rs. 4,00,000 per Kanal, along with 15% solatium and other statutory benefits.
When land in neighbouring areas is acquired at the same time for the same public purpose, landowners are entitled to equal compensation: courts will correct arbitrary disparities between similarly situated owners rather than let them stand.
