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, a police constable in Delhi, was convicted by the trial court and the Delhi High Court for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 1,000 (part of an alleged Rs. 5,000 demand) from a complainant in exchange for releasing the complainant's brother on bail. He was sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonment under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The complainant later turned hostile at trial and did not support the prosecution's version of events.
The Supreme Court held that a demand for illegal gratification is a mandatory, indispensable element ("sine qua non") of offences under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d)/13(2) of the PC Act: mere recovery of tainted currency notes is not enough. Reviewing the record, the Court found the complainant had turned hostile specifically on the question of demand and acceptance, the panch witness never actually heard any conversation involving a demand, and the investigating officer's own evidence showed it was a different officer (not the appellant) who had originally demanded money. Because the prosecution failed to prove the actual demand beyond reasonable doubt, the Court set aside the conviction of both the trial court and High Court and allowed the appeal, ordering the appellant's immediate release.
In bribery prosecutions, the prosecution must affirmatively prove that the accused actually demanded a bribe: simply recovering marked currency notes from someone's possession is not, by itself, sufficient to convict them of corruption.
