Real judgements, distilled

Legal Case Shots

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.

Frequently asked questions

Is this suitable for use in legal research and court filings?+

Legal Case Shots is built to help you quickly identify and understand relevant precedent. For citation in pleadings or filings, always verify against the full judgment PDF and current citation format (e.g., 2026 INSC ___).

How is a "lesson learnt" different from the judgment's holding?+

The holding is what the court legally decided. The lesson learnt translates that into a practical takeaway: what a lawyer should factor into case strategy or client advice as a result of this precedent.

Is the full judgment available, or just a summary?+

Both. Each case shows a distilled summary (case type, key holding, and lesson learnt) and links to the full judgment as a PDF for when you need the complete text for research or citation.

Can I filter judgments by date or case type?+

Yes. Use Advanced Filters to narrow results by decision date and by practice area, including Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Service & Administrative Law, Family Law, Civil Property & Inheritance, and Labour & Industrial Law.

Can I search judgments by a specific judge?+

Yes. You can filter judgments by the judge or bench that decided the case, which is useful for tracking how a particular judge has reasoned on similar issues across multiple rulings.

What is Legal Case Shots?+

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.

Criminal LawSupreme Court of India

Ex-Const/Dvr Mukesh Kumar Raigar vs Union of India & Ors.

Special Leave Petition (Civil) · 2023 INSC 42Decided 16 Jan 2023
Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 10499 of 2022
Ajay Rastogi · Bela M. Trivedi · Rastogi · Trivedi as author

Background

The petitioner joined the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a constable in November 2007. In 2009 he was charged with having concealed, in his character-verification certificate, that an FIR for assault-type offences (Sections 323, 324, 341 IPC) had been registered against him in 2003 and that a charge sheet was pending in court when he submitted the form. He admitted the mistake; the Commandant initially imposed only a one-stage pay cut on account of his youth, but a senior officer revised this, ordered a fresh inquiry, and he was removed from service in March 2010, with his departmental appeal and revision both failing. After two rounds before the Rajasthan High Court (including a reconsideration in light of Avtar Singh vs Union of India, after which CISF again found him unsuitable), a single judge ordered his reinstatement, but the Division Bench reversed that and upheld the removal.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court dismissed the petition. Applying the principles laid down in Avtar Singh and Satish Chandra Yadav, it held that information given to an employer about arrest, prosecution or a pending case must be true; deliberate suppression bears directly on a candidate's character and fitness, especially for a disciplined armed force like CISF that guards airports, ports, atomic energy and space installations. The authorities had considered the matter afresh as directed, given reasons, followed due process and acted without malice, so there was no ground for the High Court to interfere under Article 226. The Court reiterated that judicial review examines the fairness of the decision-making process, not the correctness of the decision or the proportionality of the punishment, and that generalisations about a candidate's youth or career prospects should not drive the verdict.

Lesson Learnt

When applying for a government job, disclose every criminal case (pending, closed or compromised) exactly as the form asks; hiding it is treated as a separate and serious misconduct even if the underlying case was minor. Courts will rarely overturn a fairly conducted disciplinary decision merely because they might have chosen a lighter penalty.

Ex-Const/Dvr Mukesh Kumar Raigar vs Union of India & Ors. – Legal Case Shots | LegalAware