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 moreThis case began in 2000 as a public interest litigation after news reports that dozens of inmates at the Beggars' Home at Lampur (Narela), Delhi were suffering from cholera and gastroenteritis, with several deaths, prompting a magisterial inquiry ordered by Delhi's Chief Minister. The petitioner, M.S. Patter, sought court intervention to compel the authorities to properly investigate and remedy conditions. Over two decades, the case wound its way through Delhi High Court orders that the petitioner found inadequate, eventually reaching the Supreme Court on appeal.
The Supreme Court used this long-pending matter to lay down a comprehensive, nationwide set of directions for the administration of Beggars' Homes and similar shelters across India. These included provisions for health monitoring, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates, legal aid and awareness (including panel lawyers visiting homes quarterly), special safeguards for women and children (with children directed to child welfare institutions rather than being detained), and accountability measures such as state-level monitoring committees, compensation for deaths caused by negligence, and a centralised digital database of inmates. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment was directed to frame model guidelines within three months, and all directions were to be implemented within six months.
Courts can use even old, seemingly narrow public interest litigations to set binding, systemic welfare and accountability standards for vulnerable institutionalised populations, and state authorities running such facilities can be held directly responsible, including through compensation and disciplinary or criminal proceedings, for deaths caused by neglect.
