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.
14543 more judgements for members
You're seeing the newest cases. Log in — it's free — to keep scrolling, search by name or judge, and filter by court or legal area.
Log in to see moreThe complainant, a foodgrain supplier, alleged he was cheated of over Rs. 6.5 crore by the respondent and others, who used forged Aadhaar and PAN cards under multiple aliases and fabricated names to dupe him. The respondent, arrested after absconding for over a year and a half, was denied bail by the Sessions Court but later granted bail by the Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) on grounds of parity with co-accused. The complainant appealed to the Supreme Court against the High Court's bail order.
The Supreme Court set aside the High Court's bail order, holding that the High Court had wrongly assumed the case was triable only by a Magistrate, overlooking that some charges (including under Sections 409 and 467 IPC) carry punishment up to life imprisonment. The Court found the respondent was a habitual offender with multiple FIRs, at least eight aliases, and forged identity documents, and that he had previously absconded after being granted bail in an earlier case. It held that the High Court had mechanically applied the "parity" principle with co-accused without considering the respondent's distinct criminal history and conduct, and reaffirmed that courts can set aside a bail order (not just cancel bail) where relevant factors were ignored or the order is otherwise unjustified or perverse.
A grant of bail can be challenged and set aside if the court ignored the accused's criminal antecedents or granted bail merely by analogy with co-accused ("parity") without examining the individual's own conduct and record; liberty is valuable but not absolute, especially against habitual offenders who pose a risk to society.
