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 had been convicted by the Special Court (set up to try securities-transaction offences) under Section 409 IPC and sentenced to six months' rigorous imprisonment plus a fine, for failing to pay Rs. 83,00,000/- owed to Canara Bank for 20,000 shares that were never returned, and for issuing cheques toward that liability that were repeatedly dishonoured. The appellant did not seriously dispute the underlying liability but argued it was purely civil in nature and lacked criminal intent: a defence the Special Court had rejected, finding clear dishonest intention in the pattern of dishonoured cheques and broken promises to pay.
The Supreme Court indicated it was inclined to agree with the Special Court's finding of dishonest intent and uphold the conviction, but on the appellant's own initiative the parties explored a settlement. The Bank produced a chart showing a principal amount of Rs. 58,10,000/- (decreed in 2007) which, with 18% annual interest from 1992 and after adjusting for a part-payment already made, had grown to roughly Rs. 2.86 crore by February 2016. On the Court's persuasion, the Bank agreed to accept a reduced 12% interest rate, bringing the amount down to about Rs. 2.03 crore, payable by the appellant in two installments over six months. The appeal was disposed of on these settlement terms: on full payment, the sentence would stand reduced to time already served (plus the fine), and the underlying civil decree would be treated as satisfied; but if the appellant defaulted, the order would stand recalled and the original six-month sentence would be revived and enforced.
Even after a criminal conviction is essentially upheld on appeal, courts can still facilitate a negotiated settlement (here, a reduced interest rate and installment payment) that converts a custodial sentence into a conditional one tied to actually paying the victim back, but defaulting on such a court-sanctioned settlement revives the full original punishment.
