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 appellants, Sandeep and his mother Krishna, were convicted for the dowry death of Sandeep's wife, Sharmila, who died of 85% burn injuries about a year and a half into the marriage. Before her death, Sharmila gave two statements, one to the police and a formal dying declaration recorded by a Judicial Magistrate, both describing being harassed over dowry demands and then set on fire by her husband after her mother-in-law sprinkled kerosene on her. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had affirmed the trial court's conviction, and the appellants challenged that affirmation before the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court held that a dying declaration recorded by a Judicial Magistrate in the presence of a doctor who certified the victim's fitness, and unchallenged for tutoring or duress, can by itself be a sound basis for conviction without need for corroboration, and that such a magistrate-recorded declaration generally carries more weight than one recorded by a lower-ranking official. It found no inconsistency between the police statement and the magistrate's dying declaration regarding the appellants' involvement, rejected the argument that dowry harassment was unproven (noting corroboration from the deceased's brother's testimony), and held that the attending doctor's inability to record who caused the burns did not undermine the case given she was quickly referred onward for treatment. The Court affirmed the conviction and sentence and dismissed the appeal.
A dying declaration recorded by a Judicial Magistrate, taken after confirming the victim's medical fitness and free of any sign of tutoring or outside pressure, can alone be sufficient to sustain a conviction for dowry death: corroboration, while often present, is not a strict legal requirement when the declaration itself is credible and consistent.
