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, apprehending arrest in an FIR registered at Jaitaran Police Station, Rajasthan (under IPC Sections 143, 341, 323, 308, 332 and 353), sought anticipatory bail from the Rajasthan High Court, which was dismissed without reasons. The Supreme Court had earlier (14.12.2017) set aside that dismissal and sent the matter back to the High Court for a reasoned decision. On remand, the High Court again dismissed the bail application in a one-line order without discussing facts or giving reasons, apparently without being informed of the Supreme Court's earlier order.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court's second order suffered from the exact same defect as the first, a complete absence of reasoning, and that the Court's earlier remand order had evidently not been placed before the High Court. The Court allowed the appeal, set aside the High Court's order dated 05.02.2018, and once again remanded the bail application to the High Court, directing it to decide the application afresh on merits and in accordance with law, this time keeping the Supreme Court's earlier order in view.
Courts deciding bail applications must give reasons for their decisions; an unreasoned order, even a brief dismissal, is liable to be set aside, and repeating the same error after a remand only compounds the problem for the litigant.
