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 moreThis was a land acquisition compensation dispute where land of the appellants had been acquired for Oil India Ltd.'s purposes. A Reference Court, examining sale instances and valuation evidence under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act, had fixed a particular valuation/compensation amount, but the High Court subsequently revised that valuation on appeal, reducing what the landowners would receive. The appellants challenged the High Court's reduced valuation before the Supreme Court. (The judgment itself is extremely brief and does not set out the specific sale instances, acreage, or rupee figures involved.)
The Supreme Court, after examining the record and the sale instances relied upon, held that the valuation originally fixed by the Reference Court was more just than the valuation substituted by the High Court. It accordingly set aside the High Court's judgment and restored the Reference Court's order on compensation. The appeals were disposed of as allowed, with no order as to costs, and any pending applications were also disposed of.
In land acquisition compensation disputes, a trial-level Reference Court's careful assessment of actual sale instances can be restored by the Supreme Court if a higher court's revised valuation is found to be less just, underscoring that landowners should preserve and present strong comparable sale-instance evidence at the earliest stage.
