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.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1073
In circumstantial-evidence cases, forensic and DNA evidence must actually corroborate the alleged crime: a conviction cannot survive where the most crucial scientific evidence, on its own terms, points away from rather than toward the prosecution's theory.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1074
A conviction based purely on circumstantial evidence requires every link in the chain, timeline, witness credibility, forensic matches, and motive, to be proven beyond reasonable doubt; gaps or suppressed evidence at any link entitle the accused to the benefit of the doubt, even in a serious case like a double murder.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8505
Courts will not quash a criminal case merely because the accused has a plausible alibi-type defence; unless that defence is conclusive and undisputed, the matter must be tested through the ordinary trial process.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8547
A private compromise between victim and accused cannot by itself secure quashing of a case involving serious, heinous allegations like attempted murder with a weapon: such matters must proceed to trial regardless of settlement.
First Appeal from Order · 2026:DHC:8563
Railway Claims Tribunals cannot reject a bona fide passenger's death claim based on speculative inferences when there is no direct evidence of an alternative cause of death; the compensation scheme under the Railways Act is to be interpreted generously in favour of victims' families.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8559
In matrimonial offences, courts can and do quash criminal proceedings once a genuine compromise is verified directly with the complainant, sparing both parties a prolonged and pointless trial.
Bail Application · 2026:DHC:8541
A co-accused's bail does not automatically extend to another accused where their actual roles in the offence differ materially; delay caused by one's own defence counsel cannot later be used as a ground for bail.
Execution Petition · 2026:DHC:8567
An arbitral award must be adequately stamped before a court can enforce it; courts give only a limited window to cure such defects, after which the award becomes legally unusable until the deficiency is fixed.
Arbitration Petition · 2026:DHC:8555
A genuine settlement reached through mediation renders a pending arbitration-related court petition moot, allowing parties to close out litigation quickly once they resolve their dispute privately.
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Legal Case Shots is a searchable database of Supreme Court of India judgments, each broken down into the case type, the court's key holding, and a practical lesson learnt, with the full judgment available as a PDF for citation or deeper reading.
The respondent applied in March 2013 to the Goa government to convert agricultural land to non-agricultural use. While his application was pending, the State amended the law and substantially raised the conversion charges. The respondent gave a signed affidavit agreeing to pay the higher, revised rate and specifically undertook not to sue for a refund, paid the amount, and received his permission (Sanad). He later went to the High Court seeking a refund of the "excess" amount, arguing he should only have had to pay the old, lower rate, and the High Court ruled in his favour.
The Supreme Court held that conversion charges are payable at the rate applicable on the date the authorities actually decide to grant permission (the Sanad), not the rate in force when the application was first filed, since the charge is linked to the grant of a benefit, not merely the filing of a request. The Court also held that the respondent could not go back on his own voluntary affidavit, in which he had agreed to pay the enhanced rate and expressly promised not to sue for a refund; there was no evidence of coercion. The appeal was allowed, the High Court's judgment was set aside, and the respondent's writ petition was dismissed.
Government conversion/regulatory charges apply at the rate in force when permission is actually granted, not when the application was filed: delay can mean a higher bill. Also, a person who voluntarily signs an undertaking not to challenge a payment or seek its refund will generally be held to that promise later.
