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 accused, nephew of the complainant, entered her house at night in a drunken state while she was sleeping with her daughters, and attempted to rape her. The complainant's daughter and neighbours intervened and the accused fled. The trial court convicted him under Sections 354 and 511 read with 376 IPC, and the High Court of Uttarakhand upheld the conviction, leading to this appeal before the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court held that the accused's conduct, forcibly entering the house, using criminal force to lift the victim's clothing despite her resistance, and being stopped only by the intervention of others, showed a clear intention to commit rape, going beyond mere preparation. The Court distinguished the precedent cited by the defense (Tarkeshwar Sahu v. State of Bihar) because in that case the accused had stopped at the preparatory stage, whereas here the accused had moved to the stage of actual attempt. The Court also held that the delay in filing the FIR was adequately explained given the victim had to travel to inform her husband before lodging a complaint, and so did not weaken the prosecution's case. Finding the guilt established beyond doubt, the Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the conviction.
Courts distinguish between mere "preparation" to commit a crime and an actual "attempt", once a person takes concrete, forceful steps toward committing an offence and is stopped only by external intervention, that is treated as attempt, not mere preparation; also, a delay in filing an FIR for genuine practical reasons (like distance and the need to first inform family) does not by itself undermine a victim's case.
