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 moreSixteen persons were tried for the murder of one Mohan Kumar and for causing grievous hurt and outraging the modesty of his wife, the key eyewitness. The trial court acquitted all the accused. On appeal by the State and by the injured witness, the Karnataka High Court partly reversed this, acquitting some accused but convicting six of them (including the present appellants) for offences connected with the murder and assault. The convicted accused appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court reviewed the evidence in detail and found that the prosecution had reliably established that the death was homicidal, that the FIR was lodged promptly and communicated to the magistrate without delay, and that the medical evidence (including testimony of the doctor who first examined the surviving injured witness) supported the prosecution's version of events. It noted that recoveries made from the accused were properly proved and that the formal and investigating witnesses had not turned hostile or been shown to be unreliable. The Court found that the High Court had already taken a "balanced view," having itself acquitted several accused for insufficient evidence and scaling down some charges (e.g., holding the injuries not to amount to attempted murder). Finding no infirmity in the High Court's reasoning, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals and upheld the convictions, with the appellants to continue serving their sentences.
An appellate court will not disturb a conviction that rests on a coherent chain of promptly-recorded FIR, credible eyewitness testimony, and consistent medical evidence, especially where the lower appellate court has already carefully sifted the evidence to acquit those against whom proof was weak.
