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 moreDuring an earlier writ petition, the petitioners (Saraswati Singh and others) had been directed by the Supreme Court to deposit money and title deeds with the Court's Registry as a condition for interim relief, and the respondents were allowed to withdraw part of that money. The Rs. 35 lakh deposit (of which the respondents withdrew Rs. 25 lakh, leaving Rs. 10 lakh with the Registry in a fixed deposit) and the title deeds were meant to test the petitioners' bona fides while the case was pending; the main writ petition was ultimately dismissed by the Court on 6 March 2018. The petitioners then filed this Miscellaneous Application asking for the deposited money and title deeds to be returned to them.
The Court found merit in the petitioners' application, holding that since the writ petition had already been dismissed, there was no further basis to keep their funds and title deeds with the Court or the respondents. It directed the Registry to return the Rs. 10 lakh held in fixed deposit (with accrued interest) to the petitioners, ordered the respondents to refund the Rs. 25 lakh they had withdrawn within three weeks, and directed that the title deeds be returned to the petitioners. The Miscellaneous Application was accordingly disposed of in full.
Money or documents deposited in court merely as a condition for interim relief during litigation must ordinarily be returned to the depositing party once the underlying case is finally decided and the condition no longer serves any purpose.
