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 moreThe appellants were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1983 murder of a man by a group armed with spears and lathis, based on the testimony of injured and other eyewitnesses. They challenged their conviction before the Supreme Court, arguing that the charge under Section 147 IPC was defective, that they were denied a fair opportunity to explain the evidence against them during their Section 313 CrPC examination (which they said was too brief and casual), and that there were inconsistencies among the eyewitnesses about who assaulted whom.
The Supreme Court held that a complaint about inadequate Section 313 CrPC questioning cannot succeed unless the accused actually demonstrates real prejudice was caused to their defence, and no such prejudice was shown here since the key questions about the eyewitness evidence had in fact been put to them. The Court also found the alleged inconsistencies among witnesses about exactly who struck which blow did not undermine the core, consistent account that the appellants were part of an unlawful assembly that surrounded and attacked the deceased with lathis and spears, satisfying the requirement of a shared common object. Finding no reason to interfere with the conviction, the Court dismissed the appeals, cancelled the appellants' bail, and directed them to surrender to serve out the remainder of their sentence.
An accused cannot overturn a conviction by pointing to procedural shortcomings (like a brief Section 313 examination) or minor inconsistencies in witness accounts unless they can show actual, specific prejudice resulted: courts look at whether the substance of a fair trial was preserved, not just technical form.
