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 moreKamlesh's truck was damaged in a fire during the night of 1st-2nd June 2009, and he filed an insurance claim of Rs. 13,50,000. The insurer, Shriram General Insurance, repudiated the claim based on a surveyor's report suggesting the fire was not accidental and alleging a delay in informing the company. The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ruled in Kamlesh's favour for the full insured value, but on the insurer's appeal, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission reduced the payout to 60% of the vehicle's insured value, citing delay in notifying the police and relying on an earlier Supreme Court decision about policy-condition violations.
The Supreme Court allowed Kamlesh's appeal and restored the State Commission's order granting the full claim amount. It held that the insurance policy's notice condition had two separate limbs, immediate notice to the company for any accidental loss, and immediate notice to police only in cases of theft or a criminal act, and since Kamlesh's case was one of accidental fire (not theft or crime), there was no requirement to notify the police immediately, so no breach occurred. The Court also distinguished the precedent the National Commission had relied upon (Amalendu Sahoo), noting that case involved an actual policy violation (vehicle used for hire against policy terms) which was not analogous here, meaning there was no valid basis to reduce the claim to 60% of insured value.
Insurance policy notice conditions must be read precisely: a requirement to inform the police applies specifically to theft or criminal acts, not to every accidental loss, so a policyholder's delay (or absence) of a police report in a pure fire-accident claim should not automatically be used to cut down a legitimate claim.
