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 2008, the appellant was driving a car in a rash and negligent manner on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Road and struck a pedestrian, Chaluvappa, who died from his injuries before reaching hospital. The appellant was convicted under Sections 279 and 304A IPC and sentenced to six months' simple imprisonment plus a fine, a conviction upheld through the first appeal and by the Karnataka High Court in revision.
The Supreme Court accepted the appellant's plea, made through senior counsel, that no useful purpose would be served by imprisonment for an unintentional road accident, and that compensating the deceased's family would be more meaningful. After the State furnished details of the deceased's ten surviving legal heirs (mostly agricultural or daily-wage labourers), the Court upheld the conviction but extended the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act, setting aside the prison sentence and instead directing the appellant to pay Rs. 10,00,000 in compensation to the ten legal heirs, with the District Legal Services Authority assisting in verifying and disbursing the funds.
In cases of unintentional death caused by a road accident, courts have discretion under the Probation of Offenders Act to substitute meaningful monetary compensation to the victim's family for a prison sentence, rather than mechanically enforcing incarceration.
