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 Himachal Pradesh government sought to acquire the appellants' land for a road-construction project under the 2013 land acquisition law. The appellants filed timely objections to the acquisition, as the law permits. However, the Collector never gave them a hearing on those objections or submitted the legally-required report to the government before the acquisition proceeded, as mandated by Section 15(2) of the Act. The Himachal Pradesh High Court dismissed their writ petition challenging the acquisition, prompting this appeal.
The Supreme Court held that the Collector's failure to follow the mandatory procedure under Section 15(2), giving landowners a hearing on their objections and submitting a report to the government, made the acquisition process legally non-compliant, and that the High Court had failed to notice this defect. The Court found that the State itself could not show any proof of compliance with Section 15(2) on record. It therefore allowed the appeal, set aside the High Court's judgment, and allowed the writ petition in part, directing the Collector to properly decide the appellants' objections, in keeping with Section 15(2)'s requirements, within three months, without being influenced by the Supreme Court's observations.
Government authorities must strictly follow the statutory procedure for hearing landowners' objections before acquiring their land, skipping the mandatory hearing-and-report step under Section 15(2) of the land acquisition law can get an acquisition set aside and sent back for a proper hearing, even years after the process began.
