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 moreIn 2011, a West Bengal state housing agency (HIDCO) agreed to convey a plot of land to the appellants on a freehold basis for about Rs. 4 crore, which the appellants paid in full. HIDCO later tried to convert the deal to a 99-year leasehold and then to charge a much higher "market rate," leading to prolonged litigation. The Calcutta High Court's Division Bench ruled in the appellants' favour in 2020 (upheld by the Supreme Court in 2021), but the State kept failing to comply, and when contempt proceedings dragged on, the High Court eventually referred the dispute to mediation over the appellants' objection.
The Supreme Court held that once a High Court's writ of mandamus has been upheld and not interfered with by the Supreme Court, all authorities are bound to obey it in letter and spirit, and a court cannot force unwilling parties into mediation in the middle of contempt proceedings, since mediation requires mutual consent. The Court found the State's conduct - repeatedly delaying compliance and then demanding a hugely inflated market price after losing in court - amounted to aggravated contempt and an attempt to defeat the mandamus. It quashed the High Court's mediation order, declined to remand the matter (given 12 years of litigation), and directly directed the Chief Secretary of West Bengal to comply with the 2020 High Court order, warning that he must personally appear before the Court to show cause for contempt if compliance was not reported by the next hearing date.
A government authority cannot indefinitely stall compliance with a final court order by manufacturing new conditions or pushing for mediation the other side never agreed to - courts can and will hold individual officials personally accountable to enforce the "majesty of law."
