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, enrolled in the Indian Army in 2003, was diagnosed with Schizophrenia about three years into his service and was discharged in 2007 after an invaliding Medical Board found the disability was neither caused nor made worse by military service. His claim for disability pension was rejected departmentally and by the Armed Forces Tribunal, and he appealed to the Supreme Court, relying on the general rule that a disease not noted at the time of enrolment is presumed to have arisen in, and be attributable to, service.
The Supreme Court held that the presumption of service-attributability for undetected diseases is not a mechanical, automatic rule: it must be examined against whether the person's actual duties or postings created conditions of stress and strain capable of causing the illness. Citing its pension entitlement rules, the Court noted mental disorders like Schizophrenia often escape detection at enrolment regardless of military service, since symptoms can first surface years later even in civilian life. Since the appellant was posted at peace stations in a non-stressful technical role (Vehicle Mechanic) and there was no evidence his duties caused the stress that triggered the illness, and the Medical Board's opinion was not contradicted by any countervailing medical evidence, the Court declined to second-guess the Medical Board or order a fresh review board. The appeal was dismissed.
A disability pension claim is not automatically entitled to succeed merely because a disease like schizophrenia went unnoticed at the time of enrolment: the claimant still has to show the actual conditions of their service caused or aggravated the illness, and courts give significant deference to a Medical Board's reasoned findings.
