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 young married man, Dinesh, died by suicide about a month after his in-laws and wife came to his house, abused him, and allegedly called him impotent and threatened a false dowry case. His mother later produced torn diary pages containing what was said to be his suicide note naming the relatives. The relatives (the appellants) were chargesheeted under Section 306 IPC (abetment of suicide) and sought quashing of the chargesheet before the Madras High Court, which refused.
The Supreme Court quashed the chargesheet and criminal proceedings, holding that abetment of suicide requires proof of instigation or a continuous course of conduct leaving the deceased no option but to end his life, with mens rea clearly established: mere harassment, even involving hurtful and humiliating remarks, is not enough. Crucially, the alleged harassment occurred on 10-11 November 2013, but the suicide happened nearly a month later on 9 December 2013 with no contact in between, breaking the required proximity between the act and the suicide. The Court held continuing the prosecution on these facts would be an abuse of the legal process.
A charge of abetment of suicide cannot rest on an isolated incident of harassment or insulting words from weeks earlier. The law requires a close time link between the accused's conduct and the suicide, plus clear proof of intent to instigate.
