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 respondent, a Grade II Police Constable in Tamil Nadu, submitted her resignation on 1 June 2017, which was accepted by the Director General of Police on 12 June 2017. On 13 July 2017, about a month later, she tried to withdraw her resignation. When the DGP rejected her request to withdraw and her challenge before a Single Judge failed, a Division Bench of the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) ruled in her favour, holding that she could withdraw her resignation within the 90-day notice period required under the applicable service rules, and ordered her reinstatement.
The Supreme Court held that under Rule 35A of the Tamil Nadu Police Subordinate Services Rules, a resignation can only be withdrawn before it is accepted by the appointing authority, once accepted, the employee loses the right to withdraw it, regardless of whether the notice period has fully run. Since the respondent's resignation was accepted on 12 June 2017 and she only sought withdrawal on 13 July 2017, her attempt came too late and had no legal effect. The Court found the High Court's reasoning, that the 90-day notice period itself gave her a right to withdraw even after acceptance, to be contrary to the plain language of Rule 35A, and set aside the High Court's judgment, restoring the dismissal of her writ petition. The Court did clarify, however, that she remains free to apply afresh for appointment in any future selection.
Once a government employee's resignation is formally accepted by the competent authority, it generally cannot be withdrawn later, even if a statutory notice period has not yet expired: the right to withdraw exists only up to the point of acceptance, not afterward.
