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 respondent, a Contract Junior Lineman, suffered a fracture in an accident while on duty and could not clear the mandatory physical (pole-climbing) test required for regular appointment. He sought appointment instead to the post of Office Subordinate, relying on the case of another employee, A. Anjaneyalu, who had suffered a permanent disability (amputation) in a work accident and had been given such an alternate post. The High Court's Single Judge and Division Bench both directed the power distribution company to appoint the respondent as Office Subordinate on this basis.
The Supreme Court held that the two cases were not comparable: Anjaneyalu had suffered a permanent disability from the accident, while the respondent had only a fracture with no permanent disability, and had earlier been given a chance to attempt the physical test (which he failed) before raising his disability claim as an afterthought. The Court held that directing an alternate appointment without a proper selection process would run contrary to Article 16's mandate of equal opportunity in public employment, and that mere long pendency of litigation (since 2007) could not itself justify an appointment lacking legal basis. The appeal was allowed and the High Court's orders were set aside.
Courts will not direct a "backdoor" alternate government appointment out of sympathy or because litigation has dragged on for years: public employment must generally follow a proper, open selection process consistent with the constitutional guarantee of equal opportunity, unless the facts are genuinely on par with an established precedent.
