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 had worked for about 15 years as a daily-wage employee of the Municipal Corporation, Bhilai, before being terminated, which she contended was illegal. The Labour Court awarded her a one-time compensation of Rs. 5,00,000 in lieu of reinstatement, but the High Court reduced this amount to Rs. 2,00,000 on appeal, prompting her to approach the Supreme Court.
Granting leave, the Supreme Court looked at the overall facts, in particular her long 15 years of daily-wage service, and found the High Court's reduced figure inadequate. It directed the Municipal Corporation to pay an additional Rs. 1,50,000 (bringing the effective compensation above the High Court's figure) with 6% annual interest running from the date of termination, within two months. It also clarified that if the High Court-ordered amount had not already been paid, it must still be released, though without interest since the Corporation had already tendered it. The appeals were disposed of with no order as to costs.
Even where a High Court has already reduced a compensation award, the Supreme Court can revisit the adequacy of that figure in light of the worker's length of service and the overall equities: a long-serving daily-wage worker denied reinstatement is not necessarily stuck with a reduced appellate figure.
