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 moreIn June 2004, Ramesh Chand agreed to sell about 12 kanals and 16 marlas of land to Asruddin for Rs 6 lakh, and accepted Rs 4 lakh as part payment. The land was mortgaged to a bank, and Ramesh Chand claimed the agreement was really security for a loan and that he had already agreed to sell the land to someone else. The trial court refused specific performance and ordered a refund of Rs 4 lakh with 8% interest, but the first appellate court decreed the sale and the High Court upheld that decree.
The Supreme Court stressed that specific performance is a discretionary remedy under Section 20 of the Specific Relief Act, not a right to be granted automatically. The buyer had neither pleaded nor proved that he had got the mortgage on the land redeemed or was ready and willing to do so, which is the kind of circumstance that allows a court to refuse the decree. Instead of ordering the sale, the Court directed the seller's legal heirs to repay Rs 4 lakh with 18% interest from 21 June 2004 within three months, finding the trial court's 8% refund too small. If the sum is paid, the specific performance decree is set aside; if not, the decree stands, and the appeal was disposed of on those terms.
A court can refuse to force a land sale where the buyer has not shown he was ready to complete it, including clearing any mortgage on the property, and may award money compensation instead. Sellers should clear any bank mortgage on land before signing a sale agreement.
