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 moreSeveral associations of postgraduate and super-speciality medical trainees challenged "compulsory bond" conditions imposed by various state governments (including Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal) requiring doctors who availed subsidised government PG/super-speciality seats to serve the state for a fixed period, or pay a penalty and forfeit their original certificates/mark-sheets if they did not. The doctors argued these bonds were an unconscionable, unconstitutional restraint on their profession and contrary to the Contract Act and Specific Relief Act. A batch of connected writ petitions and appeals (arising from various High Court decisions, including the Calcutta High Court) were tagged together and heard jointly.
The Supreme Court upheld the validity of compulsory service bonds, holding they are a reasonable condition attached to subsidised government medical education meant to address the shortage of specialist doctors in government hospitals, especially in rural and under-served areas, and do not violate Section 27 of the Contract Act (restraint of trade) since the obligation operates only for a defined period of employment and is not an unreasonable restraint on the practice of a profession. The Court held such bonds are not void as contracts of personal service forcing specific performance, but rather valid conditions backed by liquidated damages if breached, and are consistent with public interest in retaining trained specialists in government service. All the writ petitions and appeals were accordingly dismissed, with doctors who had executed such bonds held bound by their terms. The Court additionally urged the Union of India and the Medical Council of India to evolve a uniform national policy on compulsory service bonds given the inconsistency among different states' conditions.
Doctors who accept subsidised seats in government postgraduate/super-speciality courses can be validly bound by service bonds requiring them to serve the state (or pay a penalty) after completing the course: such conditions are not an unconstitutional restraint on their profession, since they serve the public interest of ensuring trained specialists remain available in the public health system.
