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.
14543 more judgements for members
You're seeing the newest cases. Log in — it's free — to keep scrolling, search by name or judge, and filter by court or legal area.
Log in to see moreThe appellants were convicted by a trial court in 2012 for possessing and dealing in a large quantity of dry ganja (600 kgs) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, with sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment. The High Court partly modified this in 2024, acquitting two of the accused and reducing one sentence, but upheld the conviction of the remaining appellants (A1, A3 to A7). The appellants argued that the police had committed serious lapses in seizing, sealing, and storing the contraband, in violation of Section 52A of the NDPS Act and the Standing Order governing such procedures.
The Supreme Court found that the seized contraband was kept by the investigating officer in an ordinary office room for fifteen days before being produced in court, and was not properly sealed, raising a real possibility of tampering or substitution. The investigating officer even admitted he was unaware of the Standing Order governing storage of seized narcotics. The Court held that while minor procedural breaches don't automatically void a conviction, the prosecution must show "substantial compliance," which it failed to do here. Giving the accused the benefit of the doubt, the Court set aside the conviction and sentence for all appellants and ordered their release.
In narcotics cases, the police's failure to follow proper legal procedure for storing and sealing seized drugs can be fatal to the prosecution's case. The law protects the accused from convictions built on evidence that may have been tampered with due to careless handling.
