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 moreMohd. Akbar, the runner-up candidate in the 2013 Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly election from the Kawardha constituency, filed an election petition in January 2014 challenging the winning candidate's election on grounds including alleged corrupt practices. More than 15 months later, the Chhattisgarh High Court still had not begun the actual trial of the petition: it was repeatedly adjourned over preliminary applications, a change of judge (after the opposing side's counsel turned out to be the brother of the judge originally hearing the case, prompting that judge's recusal), and a late, seemingly tactical change of counsel. Akbar approached the Supreme Court complaining that this violated Section 86(7) of the Representation of the People Act, which requires election petitions to be tried as expeditiously as possible, ideally within six months.
The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the underlying election dispute, which was never the question before it: it only addressed the delay. It explained why speedy resolution of election petitions matters (a short legislative tenure means an invalidly elected member could otherwise serve out most or all of their term before any wrongdoing is even established) and criticised the pattern of prolonged, tactics-driven delay common in such cases. The Court directed the Chief Justice of the High Court to take necessary steps to expedite disposal of this specific election petition, and more generally recommended that High Courts set up dedicated benches so that judges assigned to election petitions are not burdened with other work until those petitions are resolved. It also recorded its disapproval of the respondents' tactic of engaging a counsel whose appearance was bound to put the presiding judge in an awkward position. With these directions, the appeals were disposed of.
Election petitions are meant to be resolved quickly because a short legislative term can otherwise run out before a wrongly elected candidate is ever held accountable, and the Supreme Court can and will step in to push for expedited hearing when a High Court's own process (through adjournments, procedural wrangling, or tactical maneuvering by a party) causes unacceptable delay, even without touching the merits of the underlying dispute.
