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 moreArnesh Kumar sought anticipatory bail after his wife alleged dowry demands and cruelty under Section 498-A of the Penal Code and the Dowry Prohibition Act. The Sessions Court and High Court had refused bail. His appeal prompted the Supreme Court to examine unnecessary arrests and mechanical remand orders in offences carrying up to seven years' imprisonment.
The Supreme Court allowed the appeal and made its earlier provisional bail order absolute, without deciding the truth of the wife's allegations. It directed police to assess the statutory necessity for arrest under Section 41 of the Criminal Procedure Code rather than arrest automatically because an offence is cognizable and non-bailable. Police had to record and supply the factual reasons through a checklist, and magistrates had to independently examine them before authorising detention. Where arrest was unnecessary, police were to issue a Section 41-A appearance notice; continued compliance protected the person from arrest unless justified reasons were recorded. The directions extended beyond dowry cases to offences punishable with up to seven years, and non-compliance could attract disciplinary consequences and, for police, contempt proceedings.
An accusation does not automatically justify arrest for an offence within the scope of these directions. Police must explain why custody is necessary, magistrates must check those reasons, and a person served with an appearance notice should comply with it.
