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 wife, minor child and mother of an Excise Guard sought compensation before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal after his death, alleging it resulted from a motorcycle collision in 2006. The injuries from the accident itself, fractures to the foot and finger, were not life-threatening. The victim was treated, discharged, but months later developed a non-healing ulcer, was referred to a higher medical facility for a skin-grafting procedure, and died after the procedure was carried out.
The Supreme Court examined whether the death had a direct causal link to the original accident. It found the medical evidence did not conclusively establish that link: the death occurred after a successful skin-graft surgery and could equally have resulted from the patient's pre-existing diabetes or other post-surgical complications, not the accident injuries. The Court held that mere temporal proximity between the accident and the death is not enough without clear evidence of causation, and there was no preponderance of probability favoring the claimants' case. It upheld the High Court's rejection of the death compensation claim (while injury compensation was allowed to stand) and dismissed the appeal.
To claim compensation for a death allegedly resulting from an accident, claimants must show a clear, evidence-backed causal link between the accident and the death: a mere gap in time or a possible connection is not sufficient, especially when independent medical causes intervene.
