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 company (Hirakud Industrial Works Ltd.) went through a change of ownership and later shut down, leaving workers' dues unpaid. Litigation by the Hirakud Workers' Union in the Odisha High Court led to orders for auctioning the company's assets to pay worker dues. While that High Court litigation was still going on, a separate insolvency case was admitted against the same company by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), triggering a statutory moratorium. Despite the moratorium, the High Court continued with interim orders relating to the auction of the company's land, prompting the court-appointed Resolution Professional to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court held that once the NCLT declares a moratorium under Section 14 of the IBC, all other legal proceedings against the corporate debtor, including auction/execution proceedings in a High Court, must stop. Sections 238 and 231 of the IBC give the Code overriding effect over other laws and bar civil courts from interfering once the NCLT's jurisdiction is triggered. The Court therefore set aside the Odisha High Court's interim orders dated 14.08.2019 and 05.09.2019, holding that the sale or liquidation of the company's assets must now proceed only under the IBC framework. The workers' union was given liberty to file a claim for its dues directly with the insolvency resolution professional under the applicable IBC regulations.
Once a company enters formal insolvency proceedings and a moratorium is declared, all other courts and authorities must pause related litigation against that company: creditors and workers must pursue their claims through the insolvency process itself, not through parallel court cases.
