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 appellant's son, Brijesh Singh, died by suicide in 2013 after years of matrimonial discord with his wife Khushboo, leaving behind two suicide notes alleging harassment by his wife and her family. The father lodged an FIR under Section 306 IPC (abetment of suicide) against the wife and her relatives, and a forensic report matched the suicide notes' handwriting to the deceased. The Rajasthan High Court quashed the FIR at the threshold under Section 482 CrPC, holding that the allegations did not disclose the ingredients of abetment of suicide, prompting the father to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court had prematurely quashed the FIR without allowing the police investigation, which was still ongoing and had already matched the suicide notes to the deceased's handwriting, to reach its logical conclusion. The Court reiterated that the power under Section 482 CrPC to quash an FIR must be exercised sparingly, only where continuing the investigation would amount to abuse of process, and that factual disputes about the deceased's state of mind should be examined by investigation, not resolved at the quashing stage. It set aside the High Court's judgment, allowed the appeals, and directed the investigating authorities to complete the investigation on its own merits, clarifying that none of its observations should be treated as findings on the merits of the allegations.
Courts will not quash a criminal FIR merely because the accused disputes the allegations, unless the FIR, even taken at face value, fails to disclose any offence; where there is credible material (such as a forensic report) suggesting the case needs investigation, that investigation must be allowed to run its course.
