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 moreA bus owned by a private school in Gwalior was requisitioned by the District Magistrate/Election Officer for Gram Panchayat election duty. While under the control and command of the election authorities, the bus collided with a motorcycle, killing the rider. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded compensation to the deceased's legal heirs, and on appeal the High Court of Madhya Pradesh shifted liability for the compensation from the insurance company to the requisitioning authority (the District Magistrate/Collector) while also enhancing the compensation amount. The District Magistrate appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing the insurer should remain liable since the vehicle was covered by a valid policy.
The Supreme Court held that once a vehicle is requisitioned by the State for a public purpose, control and possession pass entirely to the requisitioning authority: the owner has no say in its use and derives no benefit, so it is unfair to hold the owner's insurer liable for risks arising from compelled governmental use that falls outside the insurance policy's contemplated "regular use." The Court distinguished this from cases where vehicles operate under a voluntary agreement with an authority (where the insurer remains liable), since requisition under statute is a compelled command, not a consensual arrangement. It further held that because the requisitioning authority chose to take the vehicle along with its driver (rather than requisitioning only the vehicle and separately arranging manpower under the Representation of the People Act, 1950), the authority effectively accepted responsibility for the driver's conduct too. The appeal was dismissed, confirming that liability rests with the requisitioning government authority, not the insurer.
When the government requisitions private property (such as a vehicle) for public duties like elections, it assumes full legal responsibility, including liability for accidents, for the period of that requisition; a private owner's insurance does not automatically cover risks created by the government's own compelled use of the property.
