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 Delhi Development Authority (DDA) appealed against a decision favouring the landowner, Gyanender Singh, in a dispute over land that DDA had sought to acquire. The core legal issue was whether DDA's old acquisition proceedings had lapsed under Section 24(2) of the 2013 land acquisition law, which the Court noted was already settled against DDA in a companion case (Civil Appeal No. 8477 of 2016).
The Supreme Court held that the issue was, in principle, already covered against DDA by its judgment in the connected Civil Appeal No. 8477 of 2016, and accordingly dismissed DDA's appeal. As a one-time concession given the peculiar facts, the Court granted DDA one year to start fresh acquisition proceedings by issuing a fresh notification under Section 11 of the 2013 Act; if DDA failed to do so within that year, and was still in possession of the land, it would have to hand physical possession back to the original landowner. All pending applications were disposed of.
When a government body's old land acquisition lapses for not completing the process in time, it does not get unlimited further chances: courts can set a firm deadline (here, one year) to restart the process properly, after which the land must go back to the original owner.
