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.
14543 more judgements for members
You're seeing the newest cases. Log in — it's free — to keep scrolling, search by name or judge, and filter by court or legal area.
Log in to see moreThe Ministry of New and Renewable Energy runs a "Generation Based Incentive" (GBI) scheme that pays wind power generators Rs. 0.50 per unit of electricity fed into the grid, meant to encourage investment in renewable energy separately from whatever tariff a state regulator sets. The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) had factored this GBI into the tariff it fixed for the wind power generator (respondent), effectively reducing what the generator earned from tariff since it was already getting the GBI. The Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) disagreed and held the state regulator had no power to touch the GBI at all when fixing tariff. The distribution company (appellant) then approached the Supreme Court, framing the dispute as a stark either/or: either regulators have total control over tariff, or the GBI is completely off-limits to them.
The Supreme Court rejected both extremes. It held that tariff determination remains the exclusive province of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission, and this power is not taken away just because Parliament sanctioned funds for the GBI scheme. However, the Commission's own regulations require it to "take into consideration" any government incentive when fixing tariff, but this does not mean automatically deducting or passing through the GBI amount. Since the GBI was designed as a generator-focused incentive to encourage renewable investment (not a consumer subsidy), the Commission must respect and give effect to that underlying purpose rather than mechanically offsetting it against tariff. The Court dismissed the appeal, holding the GBI is meant to be paid to generators over and above the tariff.
Sectoral regulators have broad, exclusive authority in their domain, but that authority must be exercised purposively and in harmony with the policy objectives behind government incentive schemes: a regulator cannot use its power in a way that defeats the very policy goal (like promoting renewable energy) the incentive was designed to serve.
