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 moreLand belonging to the appellants was acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The notification was issued in 1959, the declaration in 1966, and the award was passed in 1968. The authorities said the owners never came forward to collect the compensation, which stayed with the Land Acquisition Collector. The appellants then relied on the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013, which provides that an acquisition lapses if the award is more than five years old and compensation has not been paid.
The Court held that compensation is treated as "paid" only if it has actually been handed to the owner, or if it has been offered to the owner and deposited in the court, as Section 31(2) of the 1894 Act requires. Merely keeping the money in a government or revenue account, or with the Collector, does not count as payment. Since the award predated 1 January 2009 and compensation was not paid or deposited in court, Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act applied and the acquisition was deemed to have lapsed. The Court did not need to decide the disputed question of who had taken possession. The appeals were allowed, and the government was left free to start a fresh acquisition under the 2013 Act.
If the government acquires your land and the compensation is never actually paid to you or deposited in court in your name, the acquisition may lapse under the 2013 Act. Money sitting in a government account, or an award that was never paid, does not count as compensation being paid.
