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 was one of several accused in a case alleging misappropriation of food-grains meant for public distribution, registered under the Indian Penal Code and the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 in Maharashtra. His application for anticipatory bail was rejected by the trial court and the High Court, though interim protection was initially granted after he deposited the disputed amount of roughly Rs. 45 lakh. Protection was later modified to allow his arrest after the investigating officer complained he was not cooperating by failing to confess to purchasing the stolen grain, even though a co-accused had already given a statement implicating him.
The Supreme Court held that the investigating officer's real complaint was that the appellant had refused to confess, not that he was genuinely obstructing the investigation. The Court reasoned that the right against self-incrimination under Article 20(3) of the Constitution is a vital constitutional safeguard, and a person's mere refusal to confess cannot, by itself, be treated as "non-cooperation" justifying continued custodial pressure. At the same time, the Court left open the possibility that if there was genuine, provable non-cooperation going forward, the State could approach the local Sessions Court for cancellation of bail. The appeal was disposed of on this basis, allowing the appellant to remain on bail subject to that safeguard.
An accused person's refusal to confess to a crime is not, by itself, evidence of "non-cooperation" with an investigation: the constitutional right to remain silent and not incriminate oneself cannot be used as a backdoor ground to cancel bail or compel confession.
