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 appellant was convicted by the Trial Court under Section 376(3) of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act for raping a minor girl aged 15-16, and was sentenced to life imprisonment until natural death. The Chhattisgarh High Court upheld both the conviction and the sentence. The appellant did not contest his conviction before the Supreme Court but sought a reduction of his sentence from life imprisonment to a fixed term, citing no prior criminal record and satisfactory conduct in custody.
The Supreme Court did not disturb the conviction, which the appellant himself did not contest. However, considering the appellant's age, absence of antecedents, and good conduct during custody, the Court exercised its power (as recognised in Shiva Kumar @ Shiva @ Shivamurthy v. State of Karnataka) to convert the sentence of life imprisonment till natural death into a fixed term of 25 years' actual imprisonment without remission. The criminal appeal was thus partially allowed, with the High Court's order modified only to this extent.
Even in serious offences against minors where conviction is not in dispute, the Supreme Court retains discretion to moderate a "till natural death" life sentence into a fixed term based on mitigating factors like age, lack of prior record, and good conduct, sentencing severity is not always fixed once conviction is settled.
