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.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1073
In circumstantial-evidence cases, forensic and DNA evidence must actually corroborate the alleged crime: a conviction cannot survive where the most crucial scientific evidence, on its own terms, points away from rather than toward the prosecution's theory.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1074
A conviction based purely on circumstantial evidence requires every link in the chain, timeline, witness credibility, forensic matches, and motive, to be proven beyond reasonable doubt; gaps or suppressed evidence at any link entitle the accused to the benefit of the doubt, even in a serious case like a double murder.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8505
Courts will not quash a criminal case merely because the accused has a plausible alibi-type defence; unless that defence is conclusive and undisputed, the matter must be tested through the ordinary trial process.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8547
A private compromise between victim and accused cannot by itself secure quashing of a case involving serious, heinous allegations like attempted murder with a weapon: such matters must proceed to trial regardless of settlement.
First Appeal from Order · 2026:DHC:8563
Railway Claims Tribunals cannot reject a bona fide passenger's death claim based on speculative inferences when there is no direct evidence of an alternative cause of death; the compensation scheme under the Railways Act is to be interpreted generously in favour of victims' families.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8559
In matrimonial offences, courts can and do quash criminal proceedings once a genuine compromise is verified directly with the complainant, sparing both parties a prolonged and pointless trial.
Bail Application · 2026:DHC:8541
A co-accused's bail does not automatically extend to another accused where their actual roles in the offence differ materially; delay caused by one's own defence counsel cannot later be used as a ground for bail.
Execution Petition · 2026:DHC:8567
An arbitral award must be adequately stamped before a court can enforce it; courts give only a limited window to cure such defects, after which the award becomes legally unusable until the deficiency is fixed.
Arbitration Petition · 2026:DHC:8555
A genuine settlement reached through mediation renders a pending arbitration-related court petition moot, allowing parties to close out litigation quickly once they resolve their dispute privately.
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Legal Case Shots is a searchable database of Supreme Court of India judgments, each broken down into the case type, the court's key holding, and a practical lesson learnt, with the full judgment available as a PDF for citation or deeper reading.
Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a government enterprise, had leased out a building in Kolkata to the respondent, who ran a school there, for 21 years under a 1995 lease that expired in May 2014. After the lease expired, negotiations over renewal broke down, and the company initiated proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971 before the Estate Officer. The Calcutta High Court quashed the Estate Officer's order and remitted the matter back to the Estate Officer for fresh consideration, prompting the company to appeal to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the respondent had stopped paying rent since June 2014 except for a one-time deposit of Rs. 25,00,000 made under High Court orders.
The Supreme Court affirmed the High Court's order sending the matter back to the Estate Officer for a fresh decision, agreeing the respondent deserved a proper opportunity to present his defence rather than having it decided without one. However, since the respondent had occupied the valuable commercial premises without paying rent for years, the Court directed him to pay interim damages for use and occupation, Rs. 2,50,000 per month from June 2014 to May 2018, and Rs. 3,00,000 per month thereafter, with the arrears payable in three instalments. The Court made clear these amounts were tentative, to be finally determined by the Estate Officer, and warned that failure to pay any instalment would forfeit the respondent's right to contest, leading to an eviction order.
A tenant who continues occupying premises after a lease expires and while litigation is pending cannot simply withhold rent: a court will typically require interim payment for the value of continued occupation even while the underlying dispute is sent back for a fresh, fair hearing.
