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 first respondent filed an application before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) objecting to the setting up of a petrol pump next to a gas agency and play school, alleging it violated Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) siting-distance guidelines for retail fuel outlets near schools, hospitals, and residential areas. Although a Committee comprising the CPCB, State Pollution Control Board, and State Environment Impact Assessment Authority reported that the site complied with the guidelines since it was a commercial area, the NGT nonetheless kept No Objection Certificates in abeyance and later, in a second order, directed compliance with its earlier order without properly considering the Committee's report or hearing the parties. Indian Oil Corporation and the petrol-pump grantee appealed to the Supreme Court against both NGT orders, after roughly six years of delay in commencing the pump.
The Supreme Court found that the site was in fact designated as commercial under the State's Master Plan, and that a nearby residence or residential colony at some distance did not by itself violate the siting-distance rule since it was not in a legally designated residential area. The Court held that the NGT's second order was passed without notice to the parties, without considering the Committee's report, and without calling for objections from the oil company or grantee: a clear violation of the statutory procedure under Section 19(1) of the NGT Act. Rather than remanding the matter (which would cause further prejudicial delay), the Court set aside both impugned NGT orders and allowed the appeals, directing the District Magistrate, Haridwar, to consider the matter afresh, obtain any necessary statutory clearances, and permit the petrol pump's establishment if compliant with extant laws.
Regulatory and tribunal bodies must follow basic principles of natural justice, parties are entitled to notice and an opportunity to be heard before adverse orders are passed, and a technical compliance objection cannot be used to indefinitely stall a lawful commercial enterprise once expert committee reports confirm compliance.
