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 moreParsa Kente Collieries (a joint venture company) had a coal supply agreement with Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam (a state power generation company). Due to delays in getting forest and environmental clearances, actual coal supply started about 21 months later than originally scheduled. Disputes arose over price escalation, fixed costs for under-utilised plant capacity, and money held in an escrow account, which went to arbitration. The arbitrator ruled substantially in the coal company's favour on all three heads, and a Commercial Court upheld the award, but the Rajasthan High Court, hearing a further appeal, set aside the entire award in favour of the power company.
The Supreme Court held that courts reviewing arbitral awards have very limited power to interfere: they cannot second-guess a "possible and plausible" interpretation of a contract merely because another interpretation was also available. Applying this standard, the Court restored the arbitrator's award on the price-escalation claim, agreeing that the arbitrator's reading of the contract's price-escalation clauses was reasonable and that the High Court had overstepped its narrow review role. However, it upheld the High Court's reversal of the award on the "fixed costs" claim (since the actual coal-lifting records contradicted the claimed loss) and on the "escrow account" claim (since the coal company had itself earlier agreed to the escrow arrangement). The appeal was thus allowed only in part.
When a commercial dispute goes to arbitration, courts will not overturn the arbitrator's reasonable interpretation of a contract just because a different view was also possible: judicial interference with arbitral awards is meant to be the exception, not routine appellate review.
