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 moreAsian Paints discovered counterfeit paint being sold under its brand name from a shop in Rajasthan owned by Ram Babu, and its authorised investigator lodged a police complaint that led to seizure of the fake goods and an FIR under the IPC and the Copyright Act. The trial court convicted Ram Babu, but the first appellate court acquitted him. When Asian Paints tried to challenge that acquittal as a "victim" under the proviso to Section 372 CrPC, the Rajasthan High Court dismissed the appeal as not maintainable, reasoning that Asian Paints was never formally the "complainant" before the trial court.
The Supreme Court held that the definition of "victim" under Section 2(wa) CrPC turns on who has suffered loss or injury from the offence, not on whether that person was the formal complainant before the trial court. Relying on its earlier three-judge bench ruling in Mallikarjun Kodagali and other precedents, the Court held that a victim, including a company harmed by IP crime like Asian Paints, has an independent statutory right to appeal an acquittal under the proviso to Section 372 CrPC. The Court set aside the High Court's dismissal, held the appeal maintainable, and restored it to the High Court for a fresh hearing on merits, leaving all factual and legal defences open to Ram Babu.
A business or individual harmed by a crime (such as counterfeiting or IP theft) can appeal an acquittal as a "victim" even if they were not the original complainant in the case: victim status depends on being harmed by the offence, not on procedural technicalities about who filed the initial complaint.
