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 moreIn land acquisition proceedings, the Land Acquisition Officer had offered compensation of Rs.1.36 crore per acre, which a Reference Court substantially enhanced. Both the acquiring authority (GMADA) and the landowners filed first appeals before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, GMADA seeking a reduction and the landowners seeking further enhancement: appeals that remained pending for final disposal. While those appeals were pending, the High Court passed an interim order directing GMADA to deposit Rs.3.50 crore per acre, which the landowners could withdraw, failing which the stay on recovery would be vacated; GMADA challenged this interim deposit/withdrawal arrangement before the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court did not disturb the underlying first appeals (still pending before the High Court) but finally resolved the specific interim-arrangement dispute brought before it: it directed GMADA to deposit the full awarded sum within three months, permitted the landowners to withdraw only 50% of it against solvent security, required the remaining 50% (with interest) to be kept in a fixed deposit in the High Court Registrar's name, and made clear that withdrawal and deposit would both be subject to and adjusted against the final outcome of the pending first appeals. The Court allowed the appeals in part, modifying both the High Court's interim order and its own earlier ex parte interim order, and requested the High Court to dispose of the underlying first appeals finally within a year.
When a dispute over compensation amount is still pending final adjudication, courts can craft an interim deposit/withdrawal arrangement that protects both sides, letting the landowner access part of the money immediately while safeguarding the acquiring body's interest until the final result is known.
