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 petitioner, appearing in person, sought transfer of a civil suit pending before the Calcutta High Court (filed against him by the respondent) to Delhi, citing his ill health, advanced age, and an alleged threat to his life. He separately filed a writ petition under Article 32 alleging a failure by authorities to investigate what he described as a criminal conspiracy between politicians and private parties against him, seeking directions for an inquiry.
The Supreme Court found no special reason to transfer the suit, noting the petitioner had actively litigated multiple cases in Kolkata before filing the transfer petition and that the cause of action arose there. It also declined the petitioner's request to use its special Article 142 power to dismiss the underlying suit as frivolous, holding that such issues must be raised and decided by the trial court itself. The transfer petition was accordingly dismissed, with a direction that if a preliminary objection to maintainability is raised, it should be tried first. The connected writ petition under Article 32 was also dismissed for want of any special reason to entertain it, leaving the petitioner free to approach the High Court instead.
The Supreme Court will not transfer a case away from the court where the dispute actually arose merely on account of inconvenience, and it will not use its special constitutional powers to short-circuit questions, like whether a suit is frivolous or maintainable, that are properly for the trial court to decide first.
