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 moreR. Annamalai and Lalitha Subanam married in 2000, on the same day that the appellant's sister married the respondent's brother. The couple separated in 2006, leading to litigation under the Hindu Marriage Act which was later withdrawn; they briefly reunited but separated again. The husband filed for divorce in 2012, and while the Family Court, Madurai granted the divorce in 2015, the High Court reversed that decree in 2019, restoring the marriage.
The Supreme Court found that, despite unsuccessful mediation attempts during the appeal, the marriage had irretrievably broken down with no emotional connection remaining between the parties. Exercising its special power under Article 142 of the Constitution (which allows the Court to pass orders necessary for complete justice, including dissolving a marriage even where the ordinary law does not provide for it), the Court directed dissolution of the marriage. The husband agreed to pay the wife Rs. 25 lakhs as a one-time settlement, to be deposited within 8 weeks, with 7% annual compound interest for any delay, and the High Court's judgment reviving the marriage was set aside.
The Supreme Court can use its special constitutional power (Article 142) to grant a divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage even though this is not a ground recognized under the ordinary Hindu Marriage Act, but this power is used only by the Supreme Court itself, not by lower courts, and typically comes with a negotiated financial settlement.
