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 moreA nine-year-old boy, Amit Kumar, was kidnapped in May 1996 and a ransom of Rs. 3.5 lakh was paid before he was released. Several persons were arrested and the trial court convicted all accused (except one who remained untraceable) and sentenced them to life imprisonment. On appeal, the High Court acquitted most of the accused, including respondent Sunder Pal and others, finding no evidence beyond their having been seen playing cards near the location where the boy was brought, while upholding the conviction only of the two accused who had actually transported the boy on a motorcycle. The State of Haryana appealed to the Supreme Court against these acquittals.
The Supreme Court examined the evidence of the kidnapped boy (the principal witness) and agreed with the High Court that only the two accused who physically abducted him on the motorcycle were directly implicated, while the other accused were merely found nearby playing cards with no evidence connecting them to the kidnapping or any conspiracy. The Court held the High Court's view was a plausible one, not suffering from any serious infirmity, and that there was no good ground to interfere. It also noted that defence counsel stated three of the respondents had since died, though this did not affect the outcome. The State's appeal was dismissed, confirming the acquittals.
Mere physical presence near the scene of a crime, without evidence of active participation or conspiracy, is not sufficient to sustain a criminal conviction: appellate courts will not disturb a reasoned and plausible acquittal just because the State disagrees with it.
