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's husband, Raju Pal, a sitting MLA from Allahabad (West), was murdered shortly after his election, in circumstances she alleged involved a political conspiracy and complicity of the local police with rival political figures. Having first been directed to approach the High Court, she returned to the Supreme Court after the High Court declined her plea for the case to be investigated afresh by the CBI.
The Supreme Court reviewed the long and troubled history of the investigation and trial, and held that despite the pendency of the trial and the ordinary availability of lesser remedies (such as further evidence under the Code of Criminal Procedure), the exceptional facts of the case, the stature of the victim, the alleged political motive, and the need to preserve public confidence in the justice system, made a completely fresh (de novo) investigation by the CBI necessary. The Court directed the CBI to carry out this fresh investigation and report to the trial court within six months, continuing the stay on the ongoing trial until then, and allowed the appeal.
In exceptional cases where there is a real risk that a prior investigation was compromised or inadequate, courts can order a complete fresh investigation by an independent agency like the CBI, even many years after the crime, to ensure genuine justice and public confidence in the process.
