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 sitting Member of Parliament from the Bhandara-Gondiya constituency resigned in December 2017, creating a vacancy. A voter from that constituency filed a public interest petition in the Bombay High Court arguing that holding a bye-election was pointless and wasteful, since the winner would serve less than a year before the next general election (due June 2019) and could not meaningfully represent the constituency. The High Court rejected this argument and the petitioner approached the Supreme Court by special leave.
The Supreme Court held that Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act requires a bye-election within six months of a vacancy, with an exception only where the remainder of the term is less than one year, and here, with the next general election in June 2019, the remaining term exceeded one year, so the exception did not apply. The Court distinguished this situation from cases where a pending election petition (challenging the earlier election itself) could affect the timing, since no such petition was pending here. It held that concerns about election expenditure or the new member having only a limited window to serve were not grounds recognized by the statute to avoid holding the bye-election, since the law's core purpose is that no constituency remain unrepresented. The special leave petition was accordingly dismissed.
A constituency's right to representation is treated as paramount under election law: practical objections like cost or a short remaining term cannot override the statutory six-month deadline for filling a vacant seat unless the law's own specific exceptions (such as a pending election dispute, or less than a year remaining) actually apply.
