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 moreSarita Bai married respondent no. 1 in April 1998 and was allegedly tortured by her husband and mother-in-law over dowry demands. In July 1998, she died by consuming poison at her matrimonial home. The trial court convicted the respondents under Sections 498-A and 306 IPC, but the Madhya Pradesh High Court acquitted them on appeal, finding no cogent evidence of cruelty. The State appealed to the Supreme Court against the acquittal.
The Supreme Court examined the depositions of the deceased's father and brother and found they had introduced new allegations (about dowry demands for a vehicle and verbal abuse) for the first time in court, which were absent from their earlier statements to police. No medical evidence showed physical injury or torture, and no complaint of abuse had been made to the family before the death. The Court held that merely dying by suicide at the matrimonial home does not automatically trigger the presumption of abetment under Section 113-A of the Evidence Act: the prosecution must still show cogent evidence of cruelty driving the victim to suicide. Finding none, the Court upheld the acquittal and dismissed the State's appeal.
In dowry-death and suicide-abetment cases, courts will not presume guilt merely from the fact of death at the matrimonial home; the presumption under Section 113-A of the Evidence Act requires real, consistent evidence of cruelty, and witness statements that are inconsistent with what was told to police earlier can seriously undermine a prosecution case.
