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 batch of appeals arose from a single Punjab & Haryana High Court judgment that decided nine separate cases about compensation owed to landowners in Haryana whose land was used (not acquired) to erect towers and string 400 KV power transmission lines under a project run by Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Ltd., with Jhajjar KT Transco and Kalpataru Power Transmission as the contractors. Landowners in Sonepat and Jhajjar districts sought higher compensation for land under and around the towers, while the contractor challenged the compensation the courts below had already awarded. The High Court, deciding all nine cases together, mistakenly applied facts and land rates relevant only to Sonepat district even to cases from Jhajjar district, and set a uniform compensation rate across a 100-km transmission corridor spanning four districts with very different land values.
The Supreme Court found the High Court's approach legally unsustainable because it applied a single uniform compensation rate (85% of collector rate for land under towers, 15% for the surrounding right-of-way corridor) across land in different districts with different values, near highways versus in purely rural, unconnected areas, without proper evidence for each location. It set aside the High Court's judgment and sent all the matters back for fresh decision applying correct, location-specific evidence. Separately, the Court flagged a serious gap in the law: the 1885 Telegraph Act (and similarly the Petroleum Pipelines Act) gives no right of appeal against a District Judge's compensation order, and has no prescribed timelines or interest rates: unlike modern land acquisition laws. It directed that this gap be examined by the Law Commission of India and the Union Law Ministry to consider introducing a statutory appeal.
When land along a long linear project (like power lines) crosses multiple districts, compensation cannot be fixed at one uniform rate for the entire stretch. Courts must assess land value area by area, based on real evidence like local sale deeds and collector rates. It also highlights a real gap citizens should know: under the Telegraph Act, there is currently no right of appeal against a District Judge's compensation ruling, only limited High Court review.
