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 moreA deceased employee's legal heirs challenged a High Court order which had computed his entitlement following termination of service at a lump sum of Rs. 50,000, whereas the Labour Court and a Single Judge had earlier held he was entitled to back wages for a 23-year period. The Supreme Court found the termination had followed a newspaper advertisement calling on the employee to report for duty, failing which he would be terminated, and that there was no case that he had reported for duty and been refused, making this a case of voluntary relinquishment of service rather than wrongful termination.
The Court agreed with the High Court that the deceased employee was not entitled to back wages for the entire 23-year period, since his absence amounted to voluntary relinquishment rather than illegal termination. However, taking into account that the employee had since died and his widow and children were before the Court, it directed the employer (National Seeds Corporation) to pay a further Rs. 1,00,000 in full and final settlement of all claims, payable to the widow within six weeks, with 12% annual interest from the date of the employee's death if delayed, and personal liability on the responsible officer for any such delay.
Even where a legal claim for extended back wages fails on the merits (here, because the absence was voluntary, not a wrongful dismissal), courts may still direct a modest final compensatory payment on equitable grounds where the claimant has died and dependents are left pursuing the matter.
