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 appellant, Ashok, was convicted by the Sessions Judge, Gadchiroli for the murder of his wife Shubhangi and their two young daughters, Namrata and Janhavi, under Sections 302, 201 and 498A IPC, and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Bombay High Court (Nagpur Bench) upheld this conviction. The prosecution's case rested substantially on circumstantial evidence, including the "last seen together" theory and the accused's own conduct after the incident (such as asking a colleague to prepare dinner and filing a missing-persons report the next morning).
The Supreme Court found that the prosecution had not produced clinching evidence to establish the "last seen together" theory, which is essential before the burden can shift to the accused to explain the circumstances. The Court held that the conduct relied upon by the trial court as incriminating, asking a friend to cook dinner, filing a missing report the next morning, leaving the family at a gas agency, was equally consistent with innocent, ordinary behaviour and did not amount to proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Concluding that the chain of circumstantial evidence was incomplete, the Court set aside both the High Court and trial court judgments, allowed the appeal, and ordered the appellant's immediate release (unless wanted in another case).
A conviction based on circumstantial evidence requires an unbroken chain of proof excluding every reasonable hypothesis of innocence; ordinary, explainable post-incident conduct cannot by itself be treated as evidence of guilt.
