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 moreAn IAS officer was accused of arranging payments to NGOs in exchange for financial favours while managing the Bihar State Financial Corporation. After Bihar was divided, he was allotted to the Jharkhand cadre, but Bihar lodged a criminal FIR against him in 2002. The High Court quashed it on the ground that Bihar had lost jurisdiction following his cadre transfer.
The Supreme Court dismissed Bihar's appeal and left the FIR quashed, although it rejected the High Court's territorial reasoning. A later cadre transfer did not prevent Bihar from registering an FIR for alleged offences committed within Bihar, and the service-related reorganisation directions did not remove that criminal jurisdiction. However, the earlier vigilance inquiry should have been transferred to Jharkhand, and a prior High Court order required its completion within eight months or it would stand quashed. That deadline was not met. Since this FIR was founded on the vigilance inquiry that had already stood quashed, the Court declined to revive it.
An officer's transfer to another state's cadre does not itself erase criminal jurisdiction where alleged offences occurred. Authorities must nevertheless obey binding orders governing an inquiry, including a deadline that expressly ends the proceeding if it is not met.
