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.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1073
In circumstantial-evidence cases, forensic and DNA evidence must actually corroborate the alleged crime: a conviction cannot survive where the most crucial scientific evidence, on its own terms, points away from rather than toward the prosecution's theory.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1074
A conviction based purely on circumstantial evidence requires every link in the chain, timeline, witness credibility, forensic matches, and motive, to be proven beyond reasonable doubt; gaps or suppressed evidence at any link entitle the accused to the benefit of the doubt, even in a serious case like a double murder.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8505
Courts will not quash a criminal case merely because the accused has a plausible alibi-type defence; unless that defence is conclusive and undisputed, the matter must be tested through the ordinary trial process.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8547
A private compromise between victim and accused cannot by itself secure quashing of a case involving serious, heinous allegations like attempted murder with a weapon: such matters must proceed to trial regardless of settlement.
First Appeal from Order · 2026:DHC:8563
Railway Claims Tribunals cannot reject a bona fide passenger's death claim based on speculative inferences when there is no direct evidence of an alternative cause of death; the compensation scheme under the Railways Act is to be interpreted generously in favour of victims' families.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8559
In matrimonial offences, courts can and do quash criminal proceedings once a genuine compromise is verified directly with the complainant, sparing both parties a prolonged and pointless trial.
Bail Application · 2026:DHC:8541
A co-accused's bail does not automatically extend to another accused where their actual roles in the offence differ materially; delay caused by one's own defence counsel cannot later be used as a ground for bail.
Execution Petition · 2026:DHC:8567
An arbitral award must be adequately stamped before a court can enforce it; courts give only a limited window to cure such defects, after which the award becomes legally unusable until the deficiency is fixed.
Arbitration Petition · 2026:DHC:8555
A genuine settlement reached through mediation renders a pending arbitration-related court petition moot, allowing parties to close out litigation quickly once they resolve their dispute privately.
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Legal Case Shots is a searchable database of Supreme Court of India judgments, each broken down into the case type, the court's key holding, and a practical lesson learnt, with the full judgment available as a PDF for citation or deeper reading.
A borrower (the original writ petitioner) who had defaulted on a loan from the Bijnor Urban Cooperative Bank approached the Allahabad High Court seeking a One Time Settlement (OTS): a scheme that lets defaulting borrowers settle their dues for less than the full amount owed. The High Court allowed her petition and directed the Bank, by a writ of mandamus, to positively consider granting her the OTS benefit. The Bank appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing courts cannot force a bank to grant such relief as a matter of right.
The Supreme Court allowed the Bank's appeal and set aside the High Court's order, holding that no court can issue a writ of mandamus compelling a bank to positively grant OTS benefits to a borrower. It reasoned that the grant of OTS is always subject to eligibility criteria and guidelines, and is a matter left to the commercial wisdom of the lending institution, particularly where the bank can show the borrower has the capacity to pay (here, the same borrower was servicing two other loan accounts regularly) or where the debt can be recovered by selling mortgaged property. The Court cautioned that treating OTS as an enforceable right would reward dishonest borrowers who could pay but choose not to, while waiting for a settlement scheme.
A One Time Settlement from a bank is a discretionary commercial concession, not a legal right: a borrower who can otherwise pay cannot use the courts to force a bank into offering a discounted settlement.
