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 appellants (six accused) were convicted by the trial court and the Madras High Court for a night-time dacoity at a house in Nallavumpatti village, Tamil Nadu, in which the appellants attacked and killed one Sengoda Goundar and assaulted his wife and other family members while they were asleep. Two sets of connected criminal appeals (Criminal Appeal No. 740/2018 and Criminal Appeal Nos. 1608-1609/2018) were filed before the Supreme Court challenging the common High Court judgment affirming conviction. The central dispute was the reliability of eyewitness identification of the accused, including questions about delay in holding the Test Identification Parade (TIP) and whether witnesses had been shown photographs of the accused beforehand.
The Supreme Court examined the evidence of five injured eyewitnesses who identified the accused in court, and considered whether any infirmity in the TIP (delay, or prior photo-identification shown to some witnesses) undermined the prosecution case. The Court held that TIP and photo identification are only aids to investigation, not substantive evidence: the substantive evidence is identification made on oath in court. Finding the eyewitnesses' in-court identification truthful, reliable, and consistent, and noting each witness had ample opportunity to observe the attackers during a prolonged assault, the Court held the conviction was rightly made out and dismissed the appeals, affirming the conviction and sentence.
In Indian criminal trials, a Test Identification Parade is only a corroborative investigative tool: a conviction can be sustained on credible, consistent in-court identification by eyewitnesses even if there were procedural delays or imperfections in the earlier TIP.
