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 was appointed as a clerk at a government-aided school in Bihar in 1989 pursuant to a 1981 advertisement, and worked in that role for more than a decade and a half. In 2005, the District Education Officer issued a show-cause notice alleging his appointment order was forged and terminated his service without any formal inquiry. His challenges before the High Court's Single Judge and Division Bench both failed, with the courts relying on an affidavit stating the original appointment file could not be traced and that the appointment appeared to have been issued by an authority lacking the power to do so.
The Supreme Court held that a "mere bald statement" that an appointment was based on forged documents, without any inquiry into the alleged forgery, cannot justify termination, especially after such a long, unblemished period of service. Since no departmental inquiry was ever conducted despite the seriousness of the fraud allegation, the Court found the termination order "per se untenable on fact and record" and set aside both the High Court's findings and the termination order.
An employer cannot terminate a long-serving employee merely by alleging fraud or forgery in their appointment: due process requires a proper inquiry into such allegations before any punitive action can be taken, and unsubstantiated claims of fraud will not survive judicial scrutiny.
