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 moreIn 2000, the original owners ("Original Vendors") of about 354 acres of agricultural land in Haveri, Karnataka executed an unregistered Agreement to Sell (ATS) in favour of certain buyers ("Original Vendees") who paid part of the sale consideration as earnest money. Before the sale was completed, the same land was subsequently sold to other purchasers ("Subsequent Purchasers," the appellants here). The Original Vendees sued for specific performance of the ATS, and the dispute over whose claim to the land should prevail, the earlier agreement-holders or the later purchasers claiming to be bona fide buyers without notice, reached the Supreme Court after the Karnataka High Court ruled in favour of the Original Vendees.
The Supreme Court dismissed the Subsequent Purchasers' appeals, upholding the High Court's decision granting specific performance in favour of the Original Vendees and rejecting the appellants' claim to be bona fide purchasers for value without notice of the earlier agreement. However, recognising that nearly 18 years had passed since the sale deeds in the appellants' favour were executed, the Court directed the Original Vendees to pay the appellants the balance sale consideration with 16% annual interest, plus an additional Rs. 5 crore over and above that amount, before the appellants are required to execute the sale deed and hand over possession: a step taken "to do substantial justice" given the long passage of time.
A prior unregistered Agreement to Sell can defeat a later sale deed if the later buyer had notice (or ought reasonably to have had notice) of the earlier agreement, but courts can temper harsh outcomes with monetary compensation when very long delays have intervened, rather than leaving one side to bear the entire cost of the delay.
