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 dispute centred on how to interpret a 1940 Will left by one Komappan, specifically regarding a block of property ("Schedule A") that was not directly bequeathed to anyone but was meant to be jointly enjoyed, with management eventually passing to the male descendants of three named branches of the family. The trial court and the Kerala High Court both held the plaintiff was entitled to a 1/3rd share of this property; only the unsuccessful defendant No. 3 continued to challenge this, the other defendants having accepted the verdict.
The Supreme Court examined the full text and surrounding circumstances of the Will and agreed that Komappan intended the "Schedule A" property to eventually be enjoyed equally by the male descendants of his two sons and his pre-deceased son's son: each branch getting a 1/3rd share. It rejected the appellant's argument that the male descendants of those three branches should instead share equally as individuals (which would have diluted the plaintiff's share), holding that the concurrent findings of the trial court and High Court on the Will's true intent were correct. The appeals were dismissed.
When interpreting an old family Will, courts look at the document as a whole and the testator's overall intention, not just isolated clauses, and will uphold a reasonable, consistent reading of how property should pass between different branches of a family.
