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 moreIn a commercial suit, the defendant was served with summons but did not file its written statement within the 120-day outer limit set by the CPC as amended by the Commercial Courts Act. A Single Judge nonetheless granted a further extension of time to file it, and the defendant filed its written statement a few days late under that extended deadline. A second Single Judge later held that this order allowing the late filing had become final and could not be revisited, and refused to strike the written statement off the record.
The Supreme Court held that the amended Order VIII Rules 1 and 10 CPC are mandatory, not merely directory, once 120 days pass from service of summons without a written statement being filed, the defendant permanently forfeits the right to file one, and no court, including under its inherent powers, can extend that period further. The Court held the first order extending time was therefore legally unsustainable, and rejected the argument that it had become final and could not be re-examined, since an erroneous interpretation of a mandatory statutory bar cannot be shielded by res judicata. Both High Court orders were set aside and the written statement was ordered removed from the record.
In commercial court cases, a defendant has a strict, non-extendable 120-day deadline from the date of being served to file a written statement: miss it, and no court can grant an extension, however compelling the circumstances may seem.
