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 Chennai-based software export company and its Managing Director faced enforcement proceedings under FEMA for allegedly failing to realize and repatriate export proceeds from overseas customers. The Special Director (Enforcement) imposed penalties of Rs. 4 crore and Rs. 1 crore respectively. The Appellate Tribunal set aside the penalties, but the Madras High Court, on appeal by the Union of India, reversed the Tribunal and restored the penalties, also dismissing the company's separate writ petition seeking a refund of the pre-deposit.
The Supreme Court found that the High Court had proceeded on a factually incorrect assumption, that the company had placed no material on record to show what steps it took to realize and repatriate its export proceeds, whereas the Tribunal's own order showed the company had in fact filed such supporting material (Annexures A-15 to A-38), which the Tribunal had considered. Because the High Court failed to engage with this evidence, the Supreme Court set aside the High Court's judgment and sent the case back to the High Court to decide the appeals afresh on the merits, expressly without giving any opinion on who should ultimately win.
An appellate court's decision can be overturned if it is based on a factual error about what evidence was actually placed on record: courts must engage with the real evidence before them rather than assume a party produced nothing.
