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 moreTwo NEET-PG 2017-18 candidates were unable to upgrade to their preferred choice (MD Radiology) because, under the counselling rules then in force, candidates who had already accepted seats in the first two rounds could not participate in the later "mop-up" round: a round in which nearly 80% of seats were reportedly filled, some going to less meritorious candidates who had gamed the system through "seat blocking." The Allahabad High Court had awarded them Rs. 10 lakh each in compensation and directed the State to overhaul its admission procedure to prevent such blocking.
The Supreme Court noted that the counselling process has since been substantially reformed: security deposits, online-only counselling, debarment for no-shows, and an increase from two to four counselling rounds have all been implemented nationally, largely addressing the systemic seat-blocking problem the respondents had highlighted. However, the Court found that Rs. 10 lakh compensation each was excessive since the two respondents had, in fact, completed their PG courses (just not in their first choice), unlike cases where students lost an entire academic year. It reduced the compensation to Rs. 1 lakh each as litigation costs, while issuing ten detailed forward-looking directions to authorities (synchronized counselling calendars, fee disclosure, Aadhaar-based seat tracking, uniform conduct codes, and more) to further curb seat blocking nationally.
Litigation driven by personal grievance can still catalyse important systemic reform, but compensation awarded by courts must be proportionate to actual loss suffered: here, completing a degree (even if not the first-choice specialization) meant the harm was real but limited, not the kind that justifies large monetary awards.
