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 moreSunil Sharma, a director of M/s Benlon India Ltd., had taken three loans totalling Rs. 37.25 crore from Hero Fincorp to purchase machinery. A fire destroyed the machinery shortly after the last disbursement, and the loan was later converted into an unsecured facility with Hero's knowledge. When Benlon later went into insolvency and defaulted after paying most of the loan back, Hero filed a criminal complaint alleging criminal breach of trust against Sharma. A magistrate and sessions court declined to order registration of an FIR, but the Delhi High Court reversed that and directed the Economic Offences Wing to register one.
The Supreme Court held that a loan transaction ordinarily creates only a debtor-creditor relationship, not a "trust" in the criminal sense, because beneficial ownership of the money passes to the borrower. Criminal breach of trust under Section 405 IPC requires dishonest misappropriation with intent to cause wrongful gain or loss, not merely a failure to use funds as originally directed, especially where that failure was forced by circumstances beyond the borrower's control (here, the fire). The Court noted Hero itself did not object to the changed use of funds for years while receiving repayments, and only turned to criminal remedies after a third party's insolvency petition triggered default. It found the High Court had misapplied the Lalita Kumari precedent on FIR registration and set aside the direction to register an FIR, allowing the appeal.
A loan default or breach of a loan's stated purpose, particularly one caused by circumstances beyond the borrower's control, is ordinarily a civil dispute, not a crime; criminal law should not be used as a substitute for debt recovery absent proof of dishonest intent.
