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 Karnataka Public Service Commission had advertised 145 posts of Motor Vehicle Inspectors in 2006, but the recruitment notification and resulting appointments were quashed years later by the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal for not matching a central government qualification requirement (at least one year's workshop experience). The Karnataka High Court upheld that decision. The appointed candidates and the State appealed to the Supreme Court, and by the time the case reached final hearing, the affected appointees had already been working for over a decade under the Court's own interim protection orders.
After years of litigation and multiple hearings, the parties worked out a negotiated resolution: 16 identified original applicants (who had pursued the case from the Tribunal stage onward) agreed to withdraw their challenge and accept appointment as Motor Vehicle Inspectors themselves, without claiming back-wages or seniority over the already-serving appointees, in exchange for an age relaxation. The Supreme Court accepted this compromise, exercising its special constitutional power under Article 142 to do "complete justice." It directed the State to appoint these 16 persons by 31 March 2026, ruled that this settlement should not be treated as a precedent, and closed all connected contempt petitions and applications.
In long-running service disputes where quashing an entire recruitment would disrupt years of settled employment, courts can use their constitutional powers to craft a practical compromise that protects existing employees while also accommodating the original complainants, rather than mechanically enforcing the strict legal outcome for either side.
