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 two village assistants working under a village administrative officer in Tamil Nadu. A complainant who wanted his electric connection transferred to his own name (to claim a recurring subsidy) alleged that the village administrative officer demanded Rs. 600 as a bribe for signing the necessary papers, and that the money was passed through the two appellants before being handed back to the officer, who was caught in a police trap. The appellants were convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act for their role in the transaction (though acquitted of the more serious charge of directly demanding the bribe), while the main accused officer had since died during his own separate appeal.
The Supreme Court held that even though the appellants had not personally made the demand for the bribe, the circumstantial evidence, one appellant counting and holding the money, the other filling the transfer form only after the money changed hands, and the trap confirming marked currency notes on their persons, sufficiently proved they knowingly participated in the illegal transaction. The Court invoked the statutory presumption under Section 20 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which presumes guilt once acceptance of undue advantage is shown, unless the accused proves otherwise. It rejected the appellants' defence that they believed the money was a legitimate land-tax payment, since that tax had already been officially cancelled for the relevant years, making the explanation false. The appeals were dismissed and the appellants were directed to surrender immediately to serve their remaining sentence.
A person who knowingly handles or facilitates a bribe transaction can be convicted of corruption even without personally demanding the bribe, and once illegal money is shown to have been accepted, the law presumes guilt unless the accused can prove an innocent explanation.
