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 moreOn the night of 4-5 May 2021, the accused (Respondent No. 2) and his associates allegedly abducted five men from two locations in Delhi, took them to Chhatrasal Stadium, and attacked them with wooden lathis, sticks, and gunfire over personal enmity; one victim, Sagar, died of his injuries. Investigation recovered a blood-stained cloth from the accused's vehicle, a loaded gun and live cartridges from an associate's vehicle, and a mobile phone video (forensically confirmed as unedited) allegedly showing the accused attacking the victims. The accused, a well-known Olympic wrestler, evaded arrest for months before surrendering, and the Delhi High Court later granted him regular bail; the complainant appealed that bail order to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court reiterated that bail decisions require balancing personal liberty against the gravity of the offence, the strength of the prima facie case, and the risk of the accused influencing witnesses or the trial. It found the allegations "shocking and serious," and noted that the accused's celebrity status as an Olympian gave him real potential to dominate or intimidate witnesses. The Court pointed to a troubling pattern: every time the accused was granted temporary bail on five separate occasions, witnesses subsequently turned hostile (of 35 witnesses examined at trial, 28 had turned hostile) which, while not conclusively proven to be his doing, underscored a real risk of trial interference. Concluding the High Court's bail order could not be sustained, the Supreme Court set it aside, directed the accused to surrender within a week, while clarifying it expressed no view on the merits of the main trial and leaving him free to apply for bail afresh if circumstances changed.
A bail order can be cancelled where the accused's social standing or influence creates a realistic risk of witnesses being pressured. Courts will look at real-world patterns, like witnesses repeatedly turning hostile after previous releases, and not treat bail as a right divorced from its practical effect on a fair trial.
