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 moreTwo private individuals were disputing possession of a flat in Kozhikode, Kerala. Instead of filing a civil suit, the respondent filed a writ petition in the Kerala High Court seeking a mandamus directing the appellant to restore his possession of the flat, and the High Court's Division Bench granted that relief after examining the facts in detail.
The Supreme Court held that a dispute over possession between two private individuals, turning on factual questions like who owned the flat and whether the respondent's possession was lawful, is not a matter that can be resolved through a writ petition under Article 226/227 of the Constitution. Such disputes require a full civil trial with evidence, and the High Court had effectively converted itself into a civil court by deciding detailed factual issues in writ proceedings, exceeding its extraordinary jurisdiction. The appeal was allowed, the High Court's order was set aside, and the writ petition was dismissed as not maintainable, with liberty given to either party to pursue the dispute through a proper civil suit.
A writ petition under Article 226 is not a substitute for a civil suit: purely private disputes over property possession or ownership between individuals must ordinarily be resolved through a regular civil suit, not through a High Court's constitutional writ jurisdiction.
