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 wife appealed against a Jharkhand High Court order that upheld a Family Court decree dissolving her marriage on grounds of cruelty and desertion. The couple, married in 1997, had a daughter in 1998 who lived with the appellant-wife; the marriage had broken down soon after, leading to a divorce petition by the husband in 2001. An earlier round had already seen the Supreme Court remand the matter once for fresh High Court hearing, after which the High Court again dismissed the wife's appeal and granted divorce on the ground of desertion.
The Supreme Court noted the parties had lived separately for over a decade with failed mediation attempts, making reconciliation impossible. Relying on precedents such as Naveen Kohli v. Neelu Kohli and Sanghamitra Ghosh v. Kajal Kumar Ghosh, the Court held that where a marriage is irretrievably broken down, it is in the interest of all concerned, including any children, to give a final quietus to the litigation. With the broad consent of both parties, the Court exercised its special power under Article 142 of the Constitution to directly dissolve the marriage, subject to the husband paying a total of Rs. 10,00,000 in two installments as permanent alimony/maintenance for the appellant and daughter, and directed that all allegations in connected pending matrimonial proceedings be expunged and those proceedings disposed of.
The Supreme Court can use its special Article 142 power to cut through prolonged matrimonial litigation and directly grant divorce with a negotiated financial settlement once a marriage is factually and irretrievably broken down, sparing parties years of further proceedings.
