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 moreTwo bomb blasts in Surat in 1993 killed a child and injured many people. Several accused were convicted under TADA and other criminal laws, receiving terms of ten to twenty years. TADA provisions had initially been removed from the cases after review, then reintroduced in 1995 using approvals from the State Government and an Additional Police Commissioner rather than the officer specified by the statute.
The Supreme Court allowed the convicted appellants' appeals, set aside their convictions and ordered release unless required in another case. Section 20-A(1) required prior approval by the designated District Superintendent of Police, and a different authority could not exercise that power merely because it held a higher rank. The safeguard applied when TADA was reintroduced, notwithstanding the earlier registration of the original cases, and this fundamental defect was not cured by later prosecution sanction. The State could not sustain the other convictions independently because the evidence without TADA confessions was insufficient, and the alleged weapon recoveries were not reliably established. The State's appeals challenging acquittals and seeking enhanced sentences were dismissed.
When a criminal statute assigns a mandatory safeguard to a particular officer, approval from another authority is not automatically an adequate substitute. Serious allegations still require a lawful prosecution and reliable evidence proving the accused's involvement.
