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 moreMadan Lal, an Enforcement Inspector, and a co-accused Office Assistant in the Supply Department were convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act for demanding and accepting a bribe from a trader (PW-5) applying for a trade licence. A trap was laid by the Anti-Corruption Bureau after the complainant alleged repeated bribe demands. Both the Trial Court and the Rajasthan High Court upheld the conviction, relying mainly on official witnesses since the independent witnesses to the trap had turned hostile.
The Supreme Court acquitted both accused, finding the prosecution had failed to prove demand and acceptance of the bribe beyond reasonable doubt. It noted glaring inconsistencies in the complainant's own account of the amount demanded, and that the two independent witnesses to the trap (who turned hostile) both stated they entered the room only after the money had allegedly already changed hands, contradicting the official witnesses' version that they saw the handover. Given this reasonable doubt on the core facts, the statutory presumption of guilt under Section 20 of the Act could not be invoked.
A bribery conviction cannot rest on inconsistent testimony and a trap narrative that independent witnesses do not corroborate; the presumption of guilt in corruption cases only kicks in once demand and acceptance of the bribe are proved beyond reasonable doubt in the first place.
