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 plaintiff entered into a 1989 agreement to buy a two-thirds share of land, paying earnest money with the balance due on execution of the sale deed by April 1990. After the sellers failed to appear for registration, the plaintiff sued for specific performance and won in both the trial court and first appellate court, but the High Court reversed this in second appeal, finding the plaintiff had not proved he was ready and willing to pay the balance price. The sellers had, during the litigation, sold the land to other buyers.
The Supreme Court held that a plaintiff seeking specific performance under Section 16(c) of the Specific Relief Act must continuously demonstrate genuine readiness and willingness to perform his own obligations, not merely file the suit on time. It found the plaintiff's claimed presence before the Sub-Registrar was unsubstantiated, he ignored the sellers' registered notices fixing a new execution date, and, most tellingly, he let the court-ordered deadline to deposit the balance consideration lapse without explanation, only seeking an extension after it expired, on the flimsy ground that the money would otherwise sit in a bank without interest. The Court agreed with the High Court that this conduct showed a lack of real readiness and willingness, and dismissed the appeal, though it directed the earnest money be refunded to the plaintiff.
In a suit for specific performance of a property sale agreement, simply filing on time is not enough: a buyer must show through consistent, provable conduct (showing up, paying on time, responding to notices) that they were genuinely ready and able to pay, or the claim will fail even after years of litigation.
