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 moreIn the aftermath of the 2002 Godhra incident, a mob of over a thousand people surrounded a graveyard and mosque in a Gujarat village, and pelted stones at police who arrived to disperse them, forcing police to fire shots and use tear gas. Seven people, including the appellants, were arrested on the spot and named in the FIR; twelve more were later added as accused after investigation. The trial court acquitted all 19 accused for lack of reliable evidence, but the Gujarat High Court, on the State's appeal, reversed course and convicted the six surviving on-the-spot arrestees while upholding the acquittal of the other twelve.
The Supreme Court restored the trial court's acquittal, holding that mere presence at, or arrest from, the scene of a large riot (without evidence that the accused carried weapons, incited the mob, or committed any specific overt act) is not enough to prove membership in an unlawful assembly. Since no curfew was in force, the appellants' presence in their own village was unremarkable, and the two witnesses who had attributed active roles to some accused had already been disbelieved by the High Court itself for the other twelve. The Court also stressed particular caution is required when a conviction is being entered for the first time on appeal against an acquittal.
Being arrested at, or simply present at, the scene of a riot does not by itself prove someone was part of the unlawful mob. The prosecution must show specific participation, and courts owe added caution to innocent bystanders before overturning an acquittal.
