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 moreLegal heirs of one Hirabai Desai had agreed by MoUs (2013 and 2015) to transfer roughly 18 acres of agricultural land in Sanathal village, Ahmedabad, to the respondents, who obtained a 2016 consent decree for specific performance from the Bombay High Court and sought to take possession through a court-appointed Receiver. The appellants, who claim to be agricultural tenants and say they were separately declared "protected tenants" in 2024, resisted, leading to parallel appeals arising from both the Bombay and Gujarat High Courts.
The Supreme Court did not decide who actually owns the land or whether the appellants are genuine tenants: those questions remain pending below. In the Bombay-origin appeal, it found the High Court's Division Bench had ruled on issues beyond what was actually before it, so it set aside those findings and sent the appellants' interim application back for a fresh hearing on its own merits. In the Gujarat-origin appeal, it modified the status quo arrangement, directing that an independent Advocate Receiver be appointed to administer the disputed land while the underlying case remains pending, with the benefit going to whichever side ultimately wins.
At the interim stage, courts often avoid deciding the real dispute and instead correct procedural overreach and put neutral safeguards (like an independent receiver) in place until the matter is finally decided, and a lower court's interim order can itself be challenged if it rules on issues beyond what was actually before it.
