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 moreLand belonging to Suresh Kumar and other farmers in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, was compulsorily acquired by the State in 1996 for a residential/commercial development. A Reference Court fixed enhanced compensation in 2005, but when the landowners tried to appeal that award to the High Court seeking still higher compensation (in line with what other landowners from the same acquisition later received), the appeal was filed very late. The Punjab and Haryana High Court refused to condone the delay (in one connected case, a delay of 4908 days) and dismissed the appeals without hearing them on merits.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court was wrong to refuse condonation, noting Suresh Kumar's uncontroverted claim that he had handed over the necessary papers to his representative to file the appeal, but it was never filed through no fault of his own. Relying on the well-established liberal approach to condonation of delay (citing Collector, Land Acquisition, Anand Nagar v. Mst. Katiji and later precedents), the Court emphasised that technical delay should not defeat a land loser's right to fair compensation, especially since compensation for the same acquisition had already been enhanced for other landowners in separate proceedings. The Court set aside the High Court's orders, condoned the delay, and remanded the matters for a fresh hearing on merits, but as a condition, denied the appellants any interest for the delayed period.
Courts are expected to take a liberal, justice-oriented approach to delay in filing appeals, especially in land acquisition cases where compensation is at stake, rather than throwing out a case on a technicality; however, a litigant who benefits from condonation may still lose out on interest for the period of delay.
