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.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1073
In circumstantial-evidence cases, forensic and DNA evidence must actually corroborate the alleged crime: a conviction cannot survive where the most crucial scientific evidence, on its own terms, points away from rather than toward the prosecution's theory.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1074
A conviction based purely on circumstantial evidence requires every link in the chain, timeline, witness credibility, forensic matches, and motive, to be proven beyond reasonable doubt; gaps or suppressed evidence at any link entitle the accused to the benefit of the doubt, even in a serious case like a double murder.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8505
Courts will not quash a criminal case merely because the accused has a plausible alibi-type defence; unless that defence is conclusive and undisputed, the matter must be tested through the ordinary trial process.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8547
A private compromise between victim and accused cannot by itself secure quashing of a case involving serious, heinous allegations like attempted murder with a weapon: such matters must proceed to trial regardless of settlement.
First Appeal from Order · 2026:DHC:8563
Railway Claims Tribunals cannot reject a bona fide passenger's death claim based on speculative inferences when there is no direct evidence of an alternative cause of death; the compensation scheme under the Railways Act is to be interpreted generously in favour of victims' families.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8559
In matrimonial offences, courts can and do quash criminal proceedings once a genuine compromise is verified directly with the complainant, sparing both parties a prolonged and pointless trial.
Bail Application · 2026:DHC:8541
A co-accused's bail does not automatically extend to another accused where their actual roles in the offence differ materially; delay caused by one's own defence counsel cannot later be used as a ground for bail.
Execution Petition · 2026:DHC:8567
An arbitral award must be adequately stamped before a court can enforce it; courts give only a limited window to cure such defects, after which the award becomes legally unusable until the deficiency is fixed.
Arbitration Petition · 2026:DHC:8555
A genuine settlement reached through mediation renders a pending arbitration-related court petition moot, allowing parties to close out litigation quickly once they resolve their dispute privately.
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Legal Case Shots is a searchable database of Supreme Court of India judgments, each broken down into the case type, the court's key holding, and a practical lesson learnt, with the full judgment available as a PDF for citation or deeper reading.
The petitioner, a lessee of a commercial building in Kolkata, had sub-leased a floor which eventually came into the occupation of the respondent (a further sub-lessee) in 2012. The respondent occupied nearly 30,000 sq. ft. of space for over seven years without paying any lease rent, maintenance, or electricity charges, prompting the petitioner to disconnect the electricity supply. The Calcutta High Court ordered the petitioner to restore electricity without requiring any payment from the respondent, and the petitioner challenged that order before the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court set aside the High Court's order, holding that a tenant who has not paid a single rupee for years cannot simply demand restoration of electricity without payment. Without deciding the underlying contractual disputes on merits (which it left for the trial court/arbitral tribunal), the Court worked out an equitable interim arrangement: it computed approximate lease rent, maintenance charges (at a 50% discount since no air-conditioning was provided), and minimum electricity demand charges, arriving at a total of roughly Rs. 3.24 crore. It directed the respondent to pay Rs. 1 crore within a month (after which electricity would be restored) and the balance in three monthly instalments, with ongoing monthly billing and an affidavit of compliance, while leaving the final determination of exact amounts and other claims to the appropriate forum.
A sub-tenant cannot withhold all payments indefinitely and still insist on restoration of a cut-off utility connection: courts will fashion a practical, pay-as-you-go arrangement to balance both sides' interests pending final resolution of the underlying contractual dispute.
