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 under Sections 302 (murder) and 324 IPC after an incident in which he suddenly picked up a sickle and attacked several people, including a victim who later died, before being apprehended by villagers. His defence that he was of unsound mind at the time was rejected by both the trial court and the High Court, the Additional Sessions Judge relying on a doctor's evidence that he was not mentally sick.
The Supreme Court found that the Appellate Court had failed to properly re-appraise the medical evidence on record regarding the appellant's mental condition, as is required of it in a criminal appeal rather than simply relying on the trial court's assessment. On reviewing the medical evidence and surrounding circumstances itself, the Court concluded that the appellant had created sufficient doubt to be entitled to the benefit of the exception under Section 84 IPC (act of a person of unsound mind), holding that the prosecution had not established its case beyond reasonable doubt. The appeal was allowed, the conviction set aside, and the appellant ordered released from custody unless wanted in another case; the Court additionally directed further protective arrangements for him under Sections 335/339 CrPC, with a copy of the order sent to the District Legal Services Authority, Akola.
An appellate court hearing a criminal appeal must independently re-examine the evidence (especially medical evidence bearing on a defence like unsoundness of mind) rather than simply deferring to the trial court's findings; failure to do so can result in the conviction being overturned.
