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 an earlier order dated 4 August 2025 in the same SLP, this Bench had set aside a High Court of Allahabad order and remanded a quashing petition for fresh consideration, but had also directed (in paragraphs 25 and 26 of that order) that the particular Allahabad High Court judge who passed the impugned order be barred from handling any criminal matters going forward, citing a pattern of erroneous orders from that judge. The Chief Justice of India then sent an undated letter to the Bench requesting reconsideration of those specific directions, and the matter was re-notified for that purpose.
In deference to the Chief Justice of India's written request, the Bench deleted paragraphs 25 and 26 of its earlier order (which had barred the judge from criminal work), while leaving it to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court to take whatever administrative action he deemed fit, expressly acknowledging that the Chief Justice of a High Court is "the master of the roster." The Bench clarified it never intended to embarrass or cast aspersions on the judge personally, but explained that when erroneous orders threaten public confidence in the justice system, especially since the High Court is the final court of justice for roughly 90% of litigants who cannot afford to approach the Supreme Court, the Court is sometimes compelled to intervene under Article 136 to protect the institution's dignity. The rest of the original order (setting aside the High Court's judgment and remanding the quashing petition for fresh hearing before a different judge) was left undisturbed, and the Court directed a copy be sent to the Allahabad High Court's Chief Justice.
Even the Supreme Court can revisit and correct its own directions, including sensitive ones concerning a fellow judge's assignments, when institutional propriety calls for it, illustrating that judicial administration issues (like which judge hears which cases) are ultimately left to the concerned High Court's Chief Justice rather than imposed top-down by the Supreme Court.
