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 appealed against a Delhi High Court ruling that land acquisition proceedings over the respondent's land had lapsed because compensation had not been paid or possession taken within the time limits set by the 2013 land acquisition law. This appeal was one of several DDA cases decided the same day on identical facts and legal issues.
The Supreme Court held that the legal question was already settled against DDA by its companion judgment in Civil Appeal No. 8477 of 2016 (arising from SLP(C) No. 8467 of 2015), which found that non-payment of compensation triggers a deemed lapse of acquisition under Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act. Applying that binding precedent, the Court dismissed DDA's appeal. As a concession, it gave DDA one year from the order to start fresh acquisition proceedings under the 2013 Act if it still wished to acquire the land, failing which it must return physical possession to the landowner.
A government acquiring body cannot sit on paying compensation indefinitely: if it fails to pay compensation (or take possession) within the statutory window after the 2013 land acquisition law took effect, the acquisition is deemed to have lapsed and the landowner is entitled to have the land freed, subject only to a fresh, lawful acquisition if the authority still needs it.
