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 moreA police constable with about 25 years of service was dismissed in 2007 after being found drunk and misbehaving with the public while on duty, a charge confirmed by a departmental enquiry and medical examination. His statutory appeal and revision against dismissal were rejected, and a single judge of the High Court dismissed his writ petition, but a Division Bench later converted his dismissal to compulsory retirement, reasoning that his past service record should not count against him and that dismissal was excessive. The State of Uttarakhand challenged this Division Bench order before the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court held that the misconduct, proven drunkenness and misbehaviour with the public by a police officer, was serious, and that the medical report had duly established intoxication. It found no justification for the Division Bench to have interfered with the dismissal, holding that the single judge had correctly dismissed the writ petition and that the Division Bench had erred in treating the punishment as excessive. The Court allowed the State's appeal, set aside the Division Bench's order, and restored the original dismissal from service, with no order as to costs.
Courts are generally reluctant to substitute their own view of proportionate punishment for that of disciplinary authorities in cases of proven serious misconduct by police personnel, and a long clean service record does not automatically entitle an employee to a reduced penalty once grave misconduct is established.
