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 cast-iron manufacturing company in West Bengal upgraded its factory and, in 1998-99, obtained a High Tension/Bulk Power Supply connection from the State Electricity Board, which had formally sanctioned and agreed in writing to give it a 25% tariff concession for three years as a "New Industry." The company received the concession for a few months, then the Board suddenly withheld it, first demanding certificates proving the company hadn't availed any state subsidy (which the company duly furnished), and after that too was satisfied, springing an entirely new objection more than two years later: that the company wasn't a "New Industry" at all. Both the Single Judge and Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court upheld the Board's denial of the concession.
The Supreme Court held that the Board could not lawfully change its position after having sanctioned the connection, entered into a formal agreement, implemented it, and even paid out the concession for several months, only to raise a fresh objection over two years later without justification. It found the Board's letter withdrawing the concession "unsustainable, illegal and arbitrary" and held that both lower courts erred by not scrutinising this letter against the admitted, undisputed facts. The appeal was allowed, the Board's withdrawal order was set aside, and the company was held entitled to the full 25% concession for three years as originally agreed.
Once a government body or public utility formally agrees to a benefit and acts on that agreement, it cannot arbitrarily reverse its position years later on a new, unrelated ground: public authorities are bound by fairness and consistency in dealings with citizens and businesses, not just technical compliance.
