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 moreA landlord-tenant relationship dating back to 1953 over a shop premises was continued by the successors of both the original landlord and tenant. The successor-landlord (plaintiff) sought eviction and possession on the ground of bona fide personal need, while the successor-tenants resisted, disputing the landlord's title to the shop. The trial court dismissed the eviction suit; the first appellate court reversed this and remanded the matter for fresh findings; on remand, the suit was again dismissed, and this dismissal was affirmed both in a second round before the first appellate court and by the High Court in second appeal.
The Supreme Court reviewed the concurrent findings of all three courts below and found that they had failed to properly consider the material evidence on record, and had instead based their conclusions on surmises and conjecture rather than the actual proof of title and bona fide need. The Court set aside the orders of the courts below, decreed the suit in the landlord's favour, and directed recovery of unpaid rent arrears from January 2000 onward along with eviction on both grounds: default in rent payment and genuine need of the landlord. Considering the very long duration of the tenancy, the Court granted the tenants a further six months to vacate, conditional on filing an undertaking to pay the arrears within one month and hand over vacant possession within six months.
Even findings agreed upon by three successive courts can be overturned by the Supreme Court if they are shown to rest on conjecture rather than a genuine appraisal of the evidence; courts, however, retain discretion to balance a decree in favour of a rightful landlord with reasonable transition time for a long-standing tenant.
