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 moreCement Corporation of India (a government company) had taken a centralised Standard Fire and Special Perils insurance policy from ICICI Lombard for its Mandhar Cement Factory. In November 2006, thieves broke into the factory intending to steal copper winding and transformer oil, and in doing so triggered a fire that caused substantial damage. The Corporation lodged an insurance claim of about Rs. 2.2 crore, but the insurer repudiated it, and the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) dismissed the Corporation's complaint, holding the loss was not covered.
The Supreme Court held that the policy's "Fire" peril did not exclude fire caused by an act of theft/burglary: that exclusion existed only under a separate "Riot, Strike, Malicious Damage" (RSMD) clause, not under the general fire cover. Applying the principle that exclusion clauses in insurance contracts must be read strictly and narrowly, the Court found no justification for the insurer to repudiate the claim merely because the fire arose during a theft attempt. It set aside both the insurer's repudiation letter and the NCDRC's judgment, allowed the appeal, and remitted the matter to the NCDRC to assess and quantify the loss within six months.
Insurance companies cannot stretch an exclusion clause meant for one specific peril (like riot or malicious damage) to defeat a claim properly covered under a different peril (like fire). Courts read exclusion clauses in insurance policies narrowly and in favour of the insured when there is genuine ambiguity.
