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, an OBC candidate, was disqualified from a bank clerical recruitment process conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) because he failed to produce a caste certificate issued within the window specified in the advertisement. His writ petition challenging the disqualification was dismissed by the High Court as not maintainable, on the ground that IBPS was not a "State" amenable to writ jurisdiction.
The Supreme Court examined whether IBPS fell within "other authorities" under Article 12 or otherwise discharged a "public duty" making it amenable to writ jurisdiction under Article 226. It found IBPS was not created by statute, received no government funding, and was not under deep and pervasive government control merely because a few governing-body members came from public banks or the RBI. Relying on precedent (including Pradeep Kumar Biswas and Federal Bank v. Sagar Thomas), the Court held that conducting recruitment examinations for banks is a voluntary commercial activity, not a public duty, and dismissed the appeal, also noting the appellant hadn't participated in any subsequent recruitment rounds.
Not every body connected to government-linked institutions, or performing functions useful to the public, is automatically subject to writ jurisdiction: courts look for actual statutory origin, government funding/control, or a genuine public duty before entertaining a writ petition against a private entity.
