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 moreBhupinder Kaur sued for specific performance of a 1999 agreement under which Dalip Singh allegedly agreed to sell her property for Rs.1,50,000, with Rs.92,000 claimed to have been paid as earnest money. Both the trial court and the first appellate court dismissed her suit, finding she had failed to prove payment of the earnest money and noting suspicious circumstances around the agreement. The Punjab & Haryana High Court, in second appeal, reversed these concurrent findings based solely on reading the pleadings, without examining the evidence.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court erred in reversing two concurrent findings of fact merely by reading the plaint and written statement, without engaging with the evidence at all. It noted the defendant had explicitly denied receiving the earnest money, so there was no admission the High Court could rely on, and the trial court's detailed evidentiary analysis (including bank records showing no withdrawal matching the claimed payment) had been ignored. The Court allowed the appeal, set aside the High Court's judgment, and restored the trial court's decree dismissing the suit.
An appellate court in second appeal cannot overturn concurrent factual findings of lower courts simply by re-reading pleadings: it must actually engage with the evidence on record before disturbing such findings.
