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.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1073
In circumstantial-evidence cases, forensic and DNA evidence must actually corroborate the alleged crime: a conviction cannot survive where the most crucial scientific evidence, on its own terms, points away from rather than toward the prosecution's theory.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1074
A conviction based purely on circumstantial evidence requires every link in the chain, timeline, witness credibility, forensic matches, and motive, to be proven beyond reasonable doubt; gaps or suppressed evidence at any link entitle the accused to the benefit of the doubt, even in a serious case like a double murder.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8505
Courts will not quash a criminal case merely because the accused has a plausible alibi-type defence; unless that defence is conclusive and undisputed, the matter must be tested through the ordinary trial process.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8547
A private compromise between victim and accused cannot by itself secure quashing of a case involving serious, heinous allegations like attempted murder with a weapon: such matters must proceed to trial regardless of settlement.
First Appeal from Order · 2026:DHC:8563
Railway Claims Tribunals cannot reject a bona fide passenger's death claim based on speculative inferences when there is no direct evidence of an alternative cause of death; the compensation scheme under the Railways Act is to be interpreted generously in favour of victims' families.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8559
In matrimonial offences, courts can and do quash criminal proceedings once a genuine compromise is verified directly with the complainant, sparing both parties a prolonged and pointless trial.
Bail Application · 2026:DHC:8541
A co-accused's bail does not automatically extend to another accused where their actual roles in the offence differ materially; delay caused by one's own defence counsel cannot later be used as a ground for bail.
Execution Petition · 2026:DHC:8567
An arbitral award must be adequately stamped before a court can enforce it; courts give only a limited window to cure such defects, after which the award becomes legally unusable until the deficiency is fixed.
Arbitration Petition · 2026:DHC:8555
A genuine settlement reached through mediation renders a pending arbitration-related court petition moot, allowing parties to close out litigation quickly once they resolve their dispute privately.
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Legal Case Shots is a searchable database of Supreme Court of India judgments, each broken down into the case type, the court's key holding, and a practical lesson learnt, with the full judgment available as a PDF for citation or deeper reading.
Dolphin International had hired SGS India, an inspection and certification company, to inspect and certify groundnut consignments being exported to Greece and the Netherlands for quality, quantity, and aflatoxin content before shipment. When the consignments arrived at their destinations, independent labs found the peanut sizes and aflatoxin levels did not match SGS's certified figures, and Dolphin filed a consumer complaint alleging deficiency in service. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ruled in Dolphin's favour, ordering SGS to pay over Rs. 65 lakh with interest, and SGS appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, set aside the Commission's order, and dismissed the complaint. It held that the burden of proving deficiency in service lies on the complainant, and Dolphin had failed to produce evidence, such as test results of the samples SGS retained at the time of loading, showing that SGS's certification at the port of loading was itself wrong or different from what was shipped. The Court found that SGS's certificates covered only the condition of the goods at the point of loading in India, carried an explicit disclaimer about changes from storage and transportation conditions, and contained no obligation that the goods retain identical specifications after two months at sea; natural variation during transit could not be blamed on the inspector.
In a consumer complaint, the person alleging deficiency in service must actually prove it with evidence: a certifying agency cannot be held liable merely because test results differ later at a different location, if its certificate only covered conditions at the time and place of its own inspection, with no promise about conditions after transit.
