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 morePhool Chand, a driver with the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation, was dismissed after a departmental inquiry found him guilty of repeated unauthorised absence. The Labour Court converted his punishment to stoppage of increments, ordered his reinstatement, and awarded him full back wages for the 13-year period he was out of service. Both the High Court's Single Judge and Division Bench upheld this award, and the Corporation appealed to the Supreme Court. By the time the case reached the Supreme Court, Phool Chand himself had died and his legal heirs were pursuing the case.
The Supreme Court held that back wages are never automatic merely because a dismissal is set aside and reinstatement ordered: courts must weigh factors like the nature of the charge, length of litigation, and whether the employee could have mitigated his loss, and must record reasons for any award. It found that neither the Labour Court nor the High Court had considered these principles, and that the Labour Court's one-line direction granting full back wages was unsustainable. Rather than send the matter back for fresh evidence after 13+ years, the Court used its special power under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice directly, awarding the legal heirs 50% of the back wages instead of the full amount.
An employee who wins reinstatement after a wrongful dismissal is not automatically entitled to full back wages for the entire period out of service: courts must specifically examine the facts and give reasons, and may reduce the amount based on equity, especially after long delays.
