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 moreFour men were tried for gang rape of a woman at a Delhi jhuggi camp in 1997; the trial court convicted them under Section 376(2)(g) IPC, but the Delhi High Court overturned the conviction, doubting the prosecution's timeline based on police records showing the complainant was in custody around the time of the alleged offence. The High Court also directed that a complaint be lodged against three police officials, SI Jai Bhagwan, SI Prem Chand, and Head Constable Sagar Chand, for allegedly giving false evidence, under Sections 193 and 195 IPC. The police officials appealed that direction against them (Criminal Appeal No. 2298/2009), and this appeal was heard together with the State's separate appeal against the acquittal.
The Supreme Court held that a rape conviction can rest on the victim's testimony alone if it is credible, and found the High Court had wrongly reversed the conviction based on collateral material (police custody records relating to a different, related FIR) rather than properly weighing the direct evidence and medical corroboration. It restored the trial court's conviction and ten-year sentence against the four accused, directing them to surrender within four weeks. As a consequence of restoring the prosecution's version of events, the Court also held there was no basis for prosecuting the police officials for false evidence, and accordingly set aside the High Court's direction to lodge a complaint against them, allowing their appeal (Criminal Appeal No.2298/2009) as well.
Indian courts can and do uphold a rape conviction on the sole, credible testimony of the survivor without requiring independent corroboration, and appellate courts should be cautious about overturning such convictions based on tangential or circumstantial material rather than direct evidence.
