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, an agriculturist, was seriously injured in 2005 when a tractor he approached during a dealer demonstration could not be halted by its driver, turned over, and fell on him, leaving him permanently paraplegic and wheelchair-bound. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded him compensation, but the Karnataka High Court reversed this, accepting the insurer's argument (based on the first FIR) that the appellant was riding on the tractor's mudguard, a risk not covered by the insurance policy, and dismissed his claim for enhanced compensation.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court was wrong to reverse the Tribunal's considered finding of fact purely on the basis of an initial FIR statement, especially since the insurer had failed to produce its own investigation file or any independent eyewitness to contradict the appellant's version (which was corroborated by an eyewitness before the Tribunal). Restoring the Tribunal's finding that the appellant was a genuine third-party victim and not an uninsured mudguard-rider, the Court went on to enhance the compensation, raising the assessed monthly income and future medical expenses, from Rs. 8,66,000 to a total enhanced amount, with 7% interest from the date of the claim petition, to be paid within 12 weeks.
An appellate court should not overturn a trial tribunal's factual findings merely because an early, informal FIR statement differs from later sworn testimony, particularly where the party relying on the FIR fails to produce its own corroborating evidence (such as an investigation report or independent witness).
