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 in a murder case challenged the Allahabad High Court's decision to grant bail to the second respondent (Moni alias Mohd. Ahmad), who had been convicted under Sections 302/34/120B IPC for the 2006 killing of Aftaab Alam and sentenced to life imprisonment. The complainant argued the High Court had ignored the respondent's criminal antecedents, four other pending cases, including one under the U.P. Gangster Act, when granting bail during the pendency of his appeal. The respondent had also failed to furnish the bail bonds and remained in custody even after bail was granted.
The Supreme Court found that the High Court had not taken the respondent's criminal antecedents into account, and that he had not even been able to furnish the bail bond ordered by the High Court. Weighing the respondent's over eight years of custody against his criminal history and direct role in the murder, the Court set aside the High Court's order granting bail "without expressing any opinion on merits" of the underlying criminal appeal. It requested the High Court to decide the pending appeal expeditiously, preferably within a year, and clarified the respondent could reapply for bail if there was undue delay.
A bail order can be set aside on appeal if the court granting it failed to weigh the accused's criminal antecedents and conduct (such as non-compliance with bail conditions) against the seriousness of the charge: this is distinct from, and does not prejudge, the final outcome of the underlying criminal appeal.
