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 husband and wife married in 2008, had a son in 2009, and separated only about a year into the marriage. They had been living apart for roughly 16 years by the time of this appeal. The husband's divorce petition on the ground of cruelty was dismissed by the Family Court and the Delhi High Court, both finding his allegations against the wife unproven. He appealed to the Supreme Court, relying instead on the "irretrievable breakdown of marriage," pointing out that he and his family had since been acquitted in a related criminal case the wife had filed against them.
The Supreme Court noted that mediation between the parties had failed and that the marriage had been completely defunct for around 16 years, with no realistic prospect of reconciliation. While it did not find grounds to fault the concurrent findings on cruelty, the Court used its special constitutional power under Article 142 to grant a divorce directly on the basis that the marriage had irretrievably broken down: a power that lets it do "complete justice" beyond what ordinary divorce law provides. It also raised the husband's monthly maintenance payment to the wife and child to Rs. 15,000.
Even when a spouse cannot prove specific fault like cruelty, the Supreme Court can still grant a divorce using its special Article 142 power where a marriage has been dead in all but name for many years, but this relief comes paired with a duty to adequately maintain the other spouse and children.
