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.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1073
In circumstantial-evidence cases, forensic and DNA evidence must actually corroborate the alleged crime: a conviction cannot survive where the most crucial scientific evidence, on its own terms, points away from rather than toward the prosecution's theory.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1074
A conviction based purely on circumstantial evidence requires every link in the chain, timeline, witness credibility, forensic matches, and motive, to be proven beyond reasonable doubt; gaps or suppressed evidence at any link entitle the accused to the benefit of the doubt, even in a serious case like a double murder.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8505
Courts will not quash a criminal case merely because the accused has a plausible alibi-type defence; unless that defence is conclusive and undisputed, the matter must be tested through the ordinary trial process.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8547
A private compromise between victim and accused cannot by itself secure quashing of a case involving serious, heinous allegations like attempted murder with a weapon: such matters must proceed to trial regardless of settlement.
First Appeal from Order · 2026:DHC:8563
Railway Claims Tribunals cannot reject a bona fide passenger's death claim based on speculative inferences when there is no direct evidence of an alternative cause of death; the compensation scheme under the Railways Act is to be interpreted generously in favour of victims' families.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8559
In matrimonial offences, courts can and do quash criminal proceedings once a genuine compromise is verified directly with the complainant, sparing both parties a prolonged and pointless trial.
Bail Application · 2026:DHC:8541
A co-accused's bail does not automatically extend to another accused where their actual roles in the offence differ materially; delay caused by one's own defence counsel cannot later be used as a ground for bail.
Execution Petition · 2026:DHC:8567
An arbitral award must be adequately stamped before a court can enforce it; courts give only a limited window to cure such defects, after which the award becomes legally unusable until the deficiency is fixed.
Arbitration Petition · 2026:DHC:8555
A genuine settlement reached through mediation renders a pending arbitration-related court petition moot, allowing parties to close out litigation quickly once they resolve their dispute privately.
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Legal Case Shots is a searchable database of Supreme Court of India judgments, each broken down into the case type, the court's key holding, and a practical lesson learnt, with the full judgment available as a PDF for citation or deeper reading.
Dr. Vijayakumaran, a probationary Associate Professor at the Central University of Kerala, faced multiple complaints of sexual harassment from students. An Internal Complaints Committee investigated under the relevant anti-harassment regulations and found the allegations credible. Relying on that report, the University's Executive Council terminated his services, framing the order as a simple finding that his "performance on probation was not suitable for confirmation." He challenged the termination as a disguised punishment issued without the formal disciplinary inquiry the law required, but the Kerala High Court (both single judge and division bench) treated it as an ordinary, non-stigmatic termination of a probationer and dismissed his challenge.
The Supreme Court held that although the termination order's wording appeared neutral, it expressly rested on the Internal Complaints Committee's finding of serious misconduct, making it stigmatic in substance: such stigma can attach even through a document referenced in the order, not just its literal words. Since a full-scale inquiry had already culminated in a finding of guilt on allegations bordering on moral turpitude, but no separate formal disciplinary inquiry under the University's own service rules had been conducted before termination, the dismissal was illegal. The Court set aside the High Court's judgments and the termination order, directing the appellant's reinstatement, while leaving the question of back wages, and whether a fresh disciplinary inquiry should now be held, to the University's discretion.
An employer cannot dress up what is effectively a punishment for proven misconduct as a routine "unsuitable for the job" termination of a probationer: if the termination relies on a misconduct finding, a proper disciplinary inquiry under the applicable service rules must be held first, or the termination risks being struck down as illegal.
