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 moreDuring a family land dispute in 2011, the appellant Suresh's brother Rajesh was allegedly shot dead by their cousin (Respondent No. 2/Devi Singh) after a scuffle. Devi Singh claimed he was a juvenile (16 years, 4 months old) at the time based on a school transfer certificate, and both the trial court and the Allahabad High Court accepted this, sparing him a full criminal trial as an adult. Suresh challenged this, pointing to conflicting official records, a Gram Panchayat family register and a voters' list, both showing Devi Singh was actually an adult (20-22 years old) at the time, along with a Medical Board report estimating his age at 22.
The Supreme Court set aside the juvenility finding. It held that the school transfer certificate relied upon was unreliable because the school's own headmaster admitted the date of birth had been recorded merely on the oral say-so of the boy's father, with no supporting proof, and the school itself was private (not a government body), so its records did not carry the legal weight of an official "public document." Weighing this against the statutory Family Register, the Voters' List, and the Medical Board's report, all pointing to adulthood, the Court held Devi Singh was not a juvenile on the date of the offence and must be tried as an adult, directing the trial to be completed on priority by July 2026.
A school certificate is not automatically conclusive proof of age, especially where it is based only on an unverified oral statement to school staff. Courts can and should weigh it against other reliable evidence like statutory registers, electoral rolls, and medical opinion, particularly in serious crimes where age claims can be misused to escape a full trial.
