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 appellant, a Railway Protection Force constable since 1994, was named in a 2007 FIR alleging abduction of a girl, along with his father and brothers; the actual offence was allegedly committed by his brother, with the appellant accused only of abetting/assisting. Although the police chargesheeted only the brother, the appellant was later summoned by the Sessions Court and departmental disciplinary proceedings under the RPF Rules were initiated against him for concealing his involvement and failing to report his arrest and detention, ultimately resulting in his dismissal from service. His writ petition challenging the dismissal was rejected by the Delhi High Court.
The Supreme Court noted that the appellant had since died during the pendency of the appeal, and that he had been honourably acquitted in the criminal proceedings along with his family members. Considering the nature of the actual imputation against him (procedural lapses in disclosure, not the underlying offence itself) and his approximately 17 years of service, the Court held that dismissal from service was wholly disproportionate. It modified the punishment to compulsory retirement with pension, directing that arrears of pension and family pension be paid to his legal representatives from the original date of dismissal (24.06.2011), to be computed and released within six weeks.
Disciplinary punishment in government service must be proportionate to the actual misconduct proved: an employee's honourable acquittal in a related criminal case and long unblemished service record are relevant factors that can persuade a court to convert an extreme punishment like dismissal into a lesser one such as compulsory retirement with pension.
