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 moreThe respondent, a retired Assistant General Manager of a bank, was charge-sheeted by the CBI for allegedly conspiring with others to sanction and disburse large loans to a firm based on forged documents, causing wrongful loss to the bank. A Karnataka trial court had taken cognizance and issued summons, but the Karnataka High Court later discharged the respondent, holding that the prosecution required prior government sanction under Section 197 of the CrPC (for acts done in the discharge of official duty) which had not been obtained. The CBI appealed to the Supreme Court against this discharge.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court had erred in accepting the sanction-based discharge, finding that the specific question of whether Section 197 CrPC sanction was actually required in the facts of this case had not been correctly examined. The Court distinguished the precedents relied upon by the respondent as either dealing with different legal tests (quashing of proceedings generally) or decided only after a full trial, neither of which applied at this pre-trial discharge stage. It allowed the CBI's appeal, set aside the High Court's order, and restored the trial court's original order taking cognizance and issuing summons, while clarifying that it was not expressing any view on the actual merits of the corruption allegations, which remain to be tried.
A discharge application based on the need for prior government sanction to prosecute a public servant must be assessed on whether the specific acts alleged were genuinely part of the official's duty: courts cannot grant a blanket discharge on sanction grounds without that analysis, and such a ruling does not decide guilt or innocence, only whether the case can proceed to trial.
