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 appellant was convicted under Section 376 IPC (rape) and sentenced to 7 years' imprisonment for repeatedly having sexual intercourse with a blind, illiterate young woman on a false promise of marriage, after both the trial court and the High Court had upheld the conviction based on the victim's testimony (she could identify him by voice and touch), medical evidence, and his own admission before a village Panchayat. He appealed to the Supreme Court challenging the conviction and sentence.
The Supreme Court, after examining the evidence, found no infirmity in the concurrent findings of the trial court and High Court and upheld the conviction. Beyond the conviction itself, the Court examined the question of victim compensation, surveying widely varying state compensation schemes under Section 357-A CrPC (ranging from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 10,00,000 for rape) and urged all states to adopt a more uniform, generous scheme. Given the victim's extreme vulnerability, blind, unmarried, living alone with no family support, the Court declined to order a lump-sum payment (since she could not safely manage a large sum) and instead directed the State to pay her Rs. 8,000 per month for life, treating this as equivalent to interest on a notional Rs. 10,00,000 fixed deposit.
Courts can tailor victim compensation to the practical realities of the victim's life, a vulnerable person who could not safely manage a lump sum can instead be awarded a structured monthly payment, and the judgment highlights the lack of a uniform national compensation standard for rape victims as an issue needing legislative attention.
