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 appellants, the wife and three minor children of a mason who died in a 2014 motor accident, challenged the compensation amount awarded by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, which was upheld with modification by the High Court. The dispute centred on how much the deceased's monthly income should be treated as, since there was no documentary proof of his actual earnings as a mason, and on the amount payable for loss of consortium to the family members.
The Supreme Court held that since no documentary proof of the deceased's income as a mason (a skilled worker) was available, it was reasonable to notionally fix his income at Rs. 9,500 per month, extrapolating from an earlier precedent's wage figures adjusted for inflation to the year of the accident. The Court applied the multiplier of 14 (as used by the High Court, consistent with the Pranay Sethi precedent), added 25% for future prospects, and deducted one-fourth for personal expenses, computing loss of future income at Rs. 14,96,250. It also awarded Rs. 40,000 each to the wife and three children for loss of consortium (following a specific precedent fixing that rate), plus Rs. 15,000 each for loss of estate and funeral expenses, bringing the total award to Rs. 16,86,250 with 6% annual interest.
Where there is no documentary income proof for a deceased breadwinner in a motor accident claim, courts can determine a fair notional income based on comparable wage precedents rather than denying adequate compensation altogether; and consortium compensation is payable individually to each dependent family member, not just the spouse.
