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 moreThis dispute grew out of a long-running family and corporate battle over control of the M.P. Birla Group of Industries, following the death of Priyamvada Devi Birla and a contested will in favour of the Lodha family. Birla Corporation filed a criminal complaint alleging theft of 54 company documents, which the Calcutta High Court partly quashed (as to documents 1-28) while sending the rest (documents 29-54) back to the trial court. Cross-appeals were filed, Birla Corporation challenging the quashing of the complaint on documents 1-28, and the respondents challenging the remand of documents 29-54, and the Supreme Court heard all three connected appeals together.
The Court held that a "document" is movable property under the IPC and can be stolen, so the charge was not legally misconceived in that sense. However, on the facts, it found the documents had been used by the respondents only to support their case in ongoing civil litigation (alleging oppression and mismanagement of the company), which did not amount to a dishonest or wrongful taking. Given the long history of litigation between the parties, the Court concluded that continuing the criminal prosecution over documents 29-54 as well would be an abuse of the court's process, and accordingly set aside the Magistrate's order taking cognizance, quashing the complaint on all documents (1-54) and allowing the respondents' appeals while dismissing Birla Corporation's appeal.
Using internal company documents to support a genuine civil dispute (such as an oppression-and-mismanagement claim) is not automatically "theft": criminal law should not be used as a tool to settle what is really a civil/corporate governance fight, and courts can quash such proceedings as an abuse of process.
