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, Iqbal, had been convicted by the Assistant Sessions Judge, Shahjahanpur, under Sections 399 and 402 IPC along with Section 25 of the Arms Act, for an incident dating back to 1980, and sentenced to four years' imprisonment. This conviction was upheld by the Sessions Judge and later by the High Court, which dismissed his revision petition, noting that no one had appeared on his behalf at that hearing, a lapse he explained to the Supreme Court in detail.
Rather than revisiting the merits of the conviction itself, the Supreme Court focused on sentencing, directing the State to verify the appellant's conduct in jail and his subsequent criminal history. The jail superintendent reported satisfactory conduct, and the State confirmed the appellant had no other criminal case against him. Taking into account that the 1980 incident occurred when the appellant was a young boy, and weighing his clean subsequent record, the Court held that the sentence should be limited to the time he had already served, allowed the appeal on that limited basis, and ordered his immediate release unless wanted in any other matter.
Even where a conviction itself is not disturbed, the Supreme Court can moderate a sentence to the time already served by weighing mitigating factors such as the offender's young age at the time of the offence, decades of good conduct since, and the absence of any other criminal record, showing that sentencing, not just guilt, remains open to equitable review on appeal.
