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 appellant, G. Ravi, had criminal proceedings pending against him under Section 420 IPC (cheating) before a Magistrate in Saundatti, Karnataka, after the High Court refused to quash them. The dispute was essentially a money matter arising under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act (dishonoured cheque), and the parties decided to settle it amicably rather than fight it out in court.
The Supreme Court recorded that the appellant had already paid Rs. 3,50,000 to the respondent by demand draft, in full and final settlement, which the respondent's counsel acknowledged. Since the dispute was essentially a financial/cheque matter now resolved between the parties, the Court held that continuing the criminal complaint would serve no purpose and quashed the pending complaint (C.C. No. 487 of 2015) before the Magistrate at Saundatti. The Court also noted that a related case involving the same subject matter was pending before a different Magistrate in Mysore, and left it open for the respondent to bring the settlement to that court's notice so it could decide independently whether those proceedings should also continue.
When a cheque-bounce-type dispute underlying a criminal complaint is genuinely and amicably settled, including full payment acknowledged by the other side, the Supreme Court will usually quash the criminal proceedings rather than let them continue as a formality, since the point of such proceedings is largely to recover the money, not to punish once that purpose is achieved.
