Real judgements, distilled

Legal Case Shots

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.

Frequently asked questions

Is this suitable for use in legal research and court filings?+

Legal Case Shots is built to help you quickly identify and understand relevant precedent. For citation in pleadings or filings, always verify against the full judgment PDF and current citation format (e.g., 2026 INSC ___).

How is a "lesson learnt" different from the judgment's holding?+

The holding is what the court legally decided. The lesson learnt translates that into a practical takeaway: what a lawyer should factor into case strategy or client advice as a result of this precedent.

Is the full judgment available, or just a summary?+

Both. Each case shows a distilled summary (case type, key holding, and lesson learnt) and links to the full judgment as a PDF for when you need the complete text for research or citation.

Can I filter judgments by date or case type?+

Yes. Use Advanced Filters to narrow results by decision date and by practice area, including Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Service & Administrative Law, Family Law, Civil Property & Inheritance, and Labour & Industrial Law.

Can I search judgments by a specific judge?+

Yes. You can filter judgments by the judge or bench that decided the case, which is useful for tracking how a particular judge has reasoned on similar issues across multiple rulings.

What is Legal Case Shots?+

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.

Cooperative Societies LawDelhi High Court

The Cooperative Store Limited (Super Bazar) vs. Super Bazar Karamchari Dalit Sangh

Writ Petition (Civil) · 2026:DHC:7931Decided 15 Sept 2026New Delhi Bench
W.P.(C) 9114/2007CNR: DLHC011662182007
Justice Amit Mahajan

Background

The well-known cooperative retailer "Super Bazar," now under liquidation with liabilities far exceeding its assets, had its writ petition (challenging a workers' Dearness Allowance award) withdrawn in 2018 on instructions from Dr. A.K. Mishra, who described himself as the Official Liquidator. Years later, a new Official Liquidator discovered that Dr. Mishra's tenure had actually expired days before he gave those withdrawal instructions, and, amid serious findings of financial impropriety against him, including by the Supreme Court in a related matter, sought to recall the 2018 withdrawal, despite a delay of over 1,600 days in raising the issue.

Decision Breakdown

The Court found that Dr. Mishra's tenure as Official Liquidator had indeed lapsed before he instructed withdrawal of the petition, so he had no authority to bind Super Bazar at that point. Given the substantial public money at stake (Super Bazar's liabilities of about Rs. 500 crore against assets of about Rs. 150 crore) and the serious, independently-corroborated concerns about the former liquidator's conduct, the Court condoned the long delay, recalled the 2018 order, and restored the writ petition to be decided on its actual merits, without expressing any view on those merits.

Lesson Learnt

Instructions given by an official acting outside their authority (here, after their tenure had already expired) do not bind the organisation they claim to represent, and courts will look past even a long delay to correct such a defect where large amounts of public money are at stake.

The Cooperative Store Limited (Super Bazar) vs. Super Bazar Karamchari Dalit Sangh – Legal Case Shots | LegalAware