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, Savitaben, and her husband were convicted by the trial court and the Gujarat High Court for the murder of their neighbour Narmadaben, who died after being set on fire following a quarrel. The prosecution's case was that Savitaben fetched the kerosene that her husband poured on the deceased before setting her alight. The husband's own appeal against conviction had already been dismissed by the Supreme Court, and this appeal concerned only Savitaben.
The Supreme Court examined the evidence closely, particularly the deceased's earliest dying declaration made to a doctor at the hospital, in which she named only her husband as the person who set her on fire and did not mention Savitaben at all. The only evidence implicating Savitaben in fetching the kerosene came from the couple's son, which was not corroborated, and the prosecution had not examined another witness (the deceased's other son) who could have supported this. Given the absence of any mention of Savitaben in the earliest, most reliable dying declaration, the Court held the prosecution had not proved her guilt beyond reasonable doubt and gave her the benefit of doubt.
In criminal cases, the earliest version of events given by a victim (such as a dying declaration to a doctor) carries significant weight, and if it does not implicate a particular accused, later or less corroborated evidence against that person may not be enough to sustain a conviction: the benefit of doubt must go to the accused.
