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.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1073
In circumstantial-evidence cases, forensic and DNA evidence must actually corroborate the alleged crime: a conviction cannot survive where the most crucial scientific evidence, on its own terms, points away from rather than toward the prosecution's theory.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1074
A conviction based purely on circumstantial evidence requires every link in the chain, timeline, witness credibility, forensic matches, and motive, to be proven beyond reasonable doubt; gaps or suppressed evidence at any link entitle the accused to the benefit of the doubt, even in a serious case like a double murder.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8505
Courts will not quash a criminal case merely because the accused has a plausible alibi-type defence; unless that defence is conclusive and undisputed, the matter must be tested through the ordinary trial process.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8547
A private compromise between victim and accused cannot by itself secure quashing of a case involving serious, heinous allegations like attempted murder with a weapon: such matters must proceed to trial regardless of settlement.
First Appeal from Order · 2026:DHC:8563
Railway Claims Tribunals cannot reject a bona fide passenger's death claim based on speculative inferences when there is no direct evidence of an alternative cause of death; the compensation scheme under the Railways Act is to be interpreted generously in favour of victims' families.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8559
In matrimonial offences, courts can and do quash criminal proceedings once a genuine compromise is verified directly with the complainant, sparing both parties a prolonged and pointless trial.
Bail Application · 2026:DHC:8541
A co-accused's bail does not automatically extend to another accused where their actual roles in the offence differ materially; delay caused by one's own defence counsel cannot later be used as a ground for bail.
Execution Petition · 2026:DHC:8567
An arbitral award must be adequately stamped before a court can enforce it; courts give only a limited window to cure such defects, after which the award becomes legally unusable until the deficiency is fixed.
Arbitration Petition · 2026:DHC:8555
A genuine settlement reached through mediation renders a pending arbitration-related court petition moot, allowing parties to close out litigation quickly once they resolve their dispute privately.
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Legal Case Shots is a searchable database of Supreme Court of India judgments, each broken down into the case type, the court's key holding, and a practical lesson learnt, with the full judgment available as a PDF for citation or deeper reading.
Ashok Kumar filed a civil suit claiming ownership of property left by the late Trilok Chand Gupta and Sona Devi, asserting he was their son. The couple's three daughters, named as defendants, denied he was their brother and claimed the property solely under their mother's will. After the plaintiff had already closed his evidence (which included sworn affidavits and certificates suggesting he was the couple's son), the defendants applied to have him undergo a DNA test to prove the biological relationship. The trial court dismissed this application as untimely and unnecessary, but the Punjab & Haryana High Court, in revision, directed the plaintiff to undergo the DNA test, prompting this appeal.
The Supreme Court held that a DNA test should not be ordered routinely, only where there is a strong prima facie case, an "eminent need," and after balancing the parties' interests against the individual's constitutionally protected right to privacy (as recognised in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India). The Court noted the plaintiff had already led substantial documentary evidence, including an affidavit from one defendant herself acknowledging he was raised as the parents' son, and that it was only after the plaintiff closed his evidence that the defendants sought the test, making the request both procedurally late and more a fishing expedition than a necessity. Since other evidence was available to establish or dispute the relationship, forcing a DNA test against the plaintiff's wishes would unjustifiably infringe his privacy and personal liberty, though the Court noted that his persistent refusal could still allow the trial court to draw an adverse inference under Section 114 of the Evidence Act. The High Court's order was set aside and the trial court's original order (refusing to compel the DNA test) was restored, with the suit to proceed on the existing evidence.
Courts cannot force a person to undergo a DNA test merely because the opposing side wants one: such orders are permitted only when genuinely necessary and after weighing the individual's right to privacy; refusing such a test does not stop the case, but it may still count against the refusing party when the court finally evaluates the evidence.
