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, a former Union Finance Minister, was investigated by the CBI over alleged irregularities in the 2007 Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to INX Media, which allegedly received foreign investment far exceeding what was approved and made an unauthorized downstream investment. He was arrested in August 2019 and the Delhi High Court denied him regular bail, finding (among other things) a risk that he might influence witnesses, leading to this appeal to the Supreme Court; the CBI also filed a cross-appeal.
The Supreme Court found that the prosecution's allegation of witness-tampering was not supported by any contemporaneous material, none of the CBI's own six remand applications during the appellant's custody had raised such a concern, and held that a vague, speculative apprehension cannot justify denying bail, especially once the charge sheet had already been filed and the appellant's co-accused had already been granted bail. Taking into account that the appellant was not a flight risk, had cooperated with the investigation, was 74 years old with age-related health issues, and had already spent about two months in custody, the Court set aside the High Court's order, allowed the appellant's bail appeal (subject to a bail bond, surety, passport deposit, and availability for interrogation), and correspondingly dismissed the CBI's appeal. The Court clarified that its observations were made only for the limited purpose of deciding bail and would not affect the actual trial.
Bail cannot be denied merely on generalized, speculative apprehensions of witness-tampering unsupported by concrete evidence, especially once investigation is complete, a charge sheet has been filed, and co-accused in the same case have already been granted bail; courts must weigh these concrete factors over unsubstantiated fears.
