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 case involved the rape and murder of a child aged about 3 years 9 months. The appellant, a young man of about 25 at the time, was convicted by the trial court and the conviction was upheld by the Bombay High Court, based substantially on circumstantial evidence gathered through what the Supreme Court found to be a shabby and perfunctory police investigation. The appellant had already spent over 12 years in custody, with the threat of a death sentence looming over him for more than six years.
The Supreme Court undertook a detailed re-examination of the evidence and investigation and concluded that the findings of guilt recorded by both the trial court and High Court rested on conjectures and surmises rather than solid proof, reflecting an "overzealous" desire to hold someone accountable despite a flawed police investigation. Finding the chain of circumstantial evidence did not conclusively point to the appellant's guilt, the Court quashed and set aside both the conviction and the High Court's judgment, allowed the appeals, and ordered the appellant's immediate release (unless wanted in another case).
A criminal conviction, especially one carrying the threat of a death sentence, cannot rest on a chain of circumstantial evidence built on a poor investigation and inference rather than solid proof - courts must acquit rather than convict merely to be seen to hold someone responsible for a horrific crime.
