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 moreTwo brothers, Santokh Singh and Nathu Ram, inherited agricultural land from their father. Nathu Ram later sold his share to an outsider, Babu Ram, instead of offering it first to his brother. Santokh Singh sued, claiming he had a preferential right under Section 22 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 to buy back that share before it went to a stranger. The courts below, including the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, ruled in Santokh Singh's favour, and Babu Ram appealed to the Supreme Court.
The core legal question was whether the "preferential right" given to co-heirs under Section 22 of the Hindu Succession Act applies to agricultural land, since state land-reform laws sometimes separately regulate farmland transfers. The Supreme Court held that Section 22's preferential right does apply to agricultural holdings inherited under the Act, reasoning that since the right to inherit itself flows from the Act, the restrictions on how that inherited interest can be transferred also flow from the same Act and are not excluded merely because the property is agricultural. The Court affirmed the High Court's judgment upholding Santokh Singh's preferential right and expressly declared that contrary High Court rulings on this point stand overruled. The appeal was dismissed without costs.
When co-heirs inherit property, including farmland, under the Hindu Succession Act, an heir wishing to sell their share generally must first offer it to the other co-heirs before selling to an outsider; selling directly to a third party can be challenged and undone by the other heirs.
