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's minor daughter was allegedly raped, and the family initially stayed silent out of concern for her future. Soon after, the appellant's wife went missing and was later found dead near a canal bridge; an FIR was registered and, after further developments, a separate FIR was also lodged for the rape. The appellant alleged the local police investigation into his wife's murder was negligent and biased, pointing to a recommendation by senior state officials themselves to transfer the case to the CBI, departmental action already taken against two investigating officers for negligence, and material witnesses never examined, but the Punjab and Haryana High Court declined to transfer the probe to the CBI solely because the trial had already commenced.
The Supreme Court held that the commencement of a trial or examination of some witnesses is not an absolute bar on a constitutional court's power to order further investigation or transfer investigation to another agency under Articles 226/32, relying on the Constitution Bench ruling in Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights and later decisions in Narmada Bai and K.V. Rajendran. It found this was one of the "rare and exceptional" situations warranting transfer, given that state authorities had themselves recommended CBI investigation, officers had already been found negligent and departmentally punished, and witnesses had been left unexamined without explanation, all of which undermined confidence in the existing investigation. The Court therefore allowed the appeal, set aside the High Court's order, and directed the CBI to investigate and file a report before the trial court, with the trial to remain stayed until that report is filed.
A criminal trial already being underway does not by itself stop a victim's family from getting the investigation transferred to an independent agency like the CBI: courts can and will intervene if there is a real, demonstrated basis (such as the state's own admission of negligent investigation) to doubt the fairness of the existing probe.
