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 moreA motorcyclist died after his bike collided with a truck. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal found the deceased partly at fault and split liability 50-50 between him and the truck's insurer. On appeal by both the claimants (the deceased's wife and mother) and the insurer, the High Court found the truck driver solely negligent and enhanced the compensation, prompting the insurance company to challenge that finding before the Supreme Court.
The Court examined the conflicting testimony of the truck driver, who denied any collision occurred at all, and the investigating police officer, whose court testimony (blaming both drivers) directly contradicted his own charge-sheet, which had blamed only the truck driver. An independent eyewitness, riding alongside the deceased, credibly testified that the truck came from the wrong side and hit the motorcycle, after which the truck driver fled the scene. Finding the truck driver's and investigating officer's testimony unreliable and self-contradictory, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court's finding that the truck driver was solely responsible, dismissed the insurer's petition, and directed prompt payment of the enhanced compensation with interest.
Courts will look past interested or contradictory testimony from a vehicle's own driver or an investigating officer whose court statements conflict with the official charge-sheet, and will rely instead on credible independent eyewitness accounts to determine fault in accident claims.
