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 was appointed in 1994 as a temporary Caretaker of a Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) VIP guest house in Bhopal on a fixed monthly salary. His services were terminated in 2001, and the matter was referred to the Central Government Industrial Tribunal, which in 2014 held the termination illegal and ordered reinstatement, though without back wages. LIC challenged this award before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which dismissed LIC's writ petition and upheld the Tribunal's order, leading LIC to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court did not examine the underlying legal arguments about the validity of the termination. Instead, considering the "peculiar facts", that there had been repeated complaints against the respondent during his tenure, that his was only a temporary appointment under a specific service regulation meant to staff a guest house, and that nearly 19 years had passed since his termination, the Court held that reinstatement was no longer appropriate. It modified the High Court's order and directed LIC to instead pay the respondent a lump-sum compensation of Rs. 1,00,000 within three months, in full and final settlement of all his claims, thereby balancing the interests of both sides and bringing the long-running litigation to an end.
Even where a labour tribunal finds a termination illegal and orders reinstatement, the Supreme Court can, given long delay, loss of employer confidence, and the temporary/limited nature of the original post, substitute a one-time lump-sum compensation for reinstatement as a practical, final resolution, rather than deciding the underlying legal dispute on merits.
