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.
14543 more judgements for members
You're seeing the newest cases. Log in — it's free — to keep scrolling, search by name or judge, and filter by court or legal area.
Log in to see moreThe appellant was convicted under Section 304 Part II IPC and sentenced to five years' rigorous imprisonment for an acid and bomb-blast attack on the victim near a bridge in Odisha in 1990, after which the victim later died in hospital from his injuries. The Orissa High Court had dismissed his appeal against conviction. The appellant argued there were contradictions in witness testimony and that the victim's statement to police should not be treated as a dying declaration, relying on a Constitution Bench ruling (Laxman v. State of Maharashtra).
The Supreme Court held that the victim's statement recorded by the investigating officer on 05.12.1990 was admissible under Section 32 of the Evidence Act because it concerned the cause of his death and how he was injured, and that this statement was corroborated by the medical evidence of acid and bomb-blast injuries and by the informant's testimony. The Court found the trial court and High Court had correctly appreciated the evidence and that no error was committed in convicting the appellant. The Court noted the High Court itself had observed the conviction/sentence under Section 304 Part II was already a lenient view. The appeal was dismissed and the conviction and sentence affirmed.
A victim's statement about the cause of their death and the circumstances of the attack can be legally used as evidence (under Section 32 of the Evidence Act) even if it isn't a formal "dying declaration," as long as it is corroborated by other evidence such as medical records and eyewitness testimony.
