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 complainant's brother was allegedly abducted at night by the accused and others, beaten, and run over with a tractor; an FIR under Section 302/34 IPC was registered. After a sessions court refused bail citing eight ante-mortem injuries and the gravity of the offence, the Allahabad High Court granted the accused bail without giving proper reasons. The complainant appealed to the Supreme Court, also pointing out that the accused had since been booked in a separate case for threatening him to withdraw the complaint.
The Supreme Court found that the High Court had granted bail "in a casual way" without assigning valid reasons, ignoring the seriousness of the allegations and the risk to witnesses. It separately criticised the State for its negligence in not contesting the bail plea or filing a cancellation petition, and had earlier summoned the State's Principal Secretary (Law) to explain the lapse. The Court cancelled the bail granted to the accused, directed the trial court to expedite and conclude the trial within six months, and allowed the accused to apply afresh for bail before the trial court after some time, to be decided on its own merits.
A High Court bail order must give actual reasons grounded in the seriousness of the charge and the evidence, not a bare grant; and the State's failure to oppose a bail application can itself draw the Supreme Court's censure.
