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's land in Morshi, Maharashtra, had been reserved in the city's development plan for a shopping centre and a garden since 2005. Under Section 127 of the Act, an owner can serve notice to de-reserve such land if it isn't acquired within 10 years. The appellant served such a notice, but the municipality claimed it was received prematurely (one day before the deadline) and disputed whether adequate acquisition steps had followed. The High Court dismissed the appellant's writ petition, holding the notice was premature.
The Supreme Court examined the municipality's own General Body Meeting minutes, which admitted the notice was actually received a day later than the municipality's official acknowledgment claimed, meaning the notice was not premature. The Court further held that merely forwarding an acquisition proposal between government offices does not count as a genuine "step for acquisition" under the law; real acquisition steps (such as a formal Section 6 declaration) must be taken within the statutory 24-month window after notice. Since the municipality admittedly failed to do so, the Court held the reservation had lapsed and directed the State to formally notify the de-reservation in the Official Gazette within four months. It also expunged unwarranted adverse remarks the High Court had made against the appellant's counsel.
If a government or municipal authority reserves your land for a public purpose but then fails to take genuine, timely acquisition action within the legally prescribed window after you've served the proper notice, the reservation automatically lapses and you regain the right to develop your own property.
