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 father-in-law, along with his son and other family members, was named in an FIR filed by his daughter-in-law alleging cruelty and dowry demands under Section 498A IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act, after her marriage broke down. A reconciliation attempt through police counselling had briefly succeeded but the dispute resurfaced, leading to the FIR and a chargesheet. The High Court quashed the case against the mother-in-law and sister-in-law (finding only general, vague allegations against them) but declined to quash it against the appellant himself and his son, so the appellant appealed to the Supreme Court. By the time the matter reached the Supreme Court, the marriage had already ended by a decree of divorce and the parties had moved on with their lives.
The Supreme Court held that once a marriage has ended in divorce and the parties have settled into separate lives, continuing criminal proceedings against family members (particularly where allegations against them lack specific, proximate detail) serves no legitimate purpose and only prolongs bitterness while burdening the courts with disputes that are no longer live. Invoking its special power under Article 142 of the Constitution to do "complete justice," the Court set aside the High Court's order and quashed the FIR, the associated proceedings, and the chargesheet against the appellant.
The Supreme Court can use its extraordinary Article 142 power to close out matrimonial criminal cases against extended family members once the marriage itself has ended and the underlying dispute has run its course, even without a formal compromise, if keeping the case alive would serve no real purpose beyond prolonging conflict.
