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 moreS. Nambi Narayanan, a senior ISRO scientist, was arrested in 1994 along with other colleagues on allegations that they had leaked official secrets about cryogenic rocket technology to foreign nationals, in what became known as the "ISRO espionage case." The CBI's investigation, taken over after the Kerala Police's initial probe, found the espionage allegations to be false and unproved, and this was accepted by the courts, clearing Nambi Narayanan. He later sought compensation and accountability for the humiliation, suffering, and career damage he endured over the roughly 24 years since his wrongful arrest, which the Kerala High Court had addressed only partially.
The Supreme Court held that Nambi Narayanan's extended ordeal, wrongful arrest, custody, and the devastating effect on his reputation and career as a scientist, amounted to a violation of his fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21, warranting compensation beyond what the lower courts had awarded. Drawing on precedent for enhancing compensation in cases of wrongful prosecution, the Court directed the State of Kerala to pay him Rs. 50 lakh as compensation within eight weeks, while clarifying he remained free to pursue a separately pending civil suit for further damages. Going beyond compensation, the Court also constituted a special committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge (Justice D.K. Jain) to examine and recommend appropriate action against the police and intelligence officials responsible for his wrongful implication.
When state authorities wrongfully prosecute and humiliate an individual without basis, courts can award substantial monetary compensation for the resulting violation of personal liberty and dignity, and can also direct independent accountability proceedings against the officials responsible: compensation and institutional accountability are not mutually exclusive remedies.
