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 moreSandeep Singh and other respondents were Classical & Vernacular (C&V) Cadre Teachers (specifically Drawing Teachers) in Haryana's school education department, governed originally by the 1998 Cadre Rules. When new 2012 Rules came into force, Rule 9(5) stated that the existing C&V Cadre would be "converted to TGT [Trained Graduate Teacher] in the relevant subject." The teachers argued that since they were now notionally TGTs, they were entitled to promotion to the post of Elementary School Headmaster (85% of which is reserved for promotion from TGTs) based on their seniority, and that juniors had already been promoted ahead of them. Both the Single Judge and the Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court agreed with the teachers; the State of Haryana appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court had taken an overly simplistic reading of Rule 9(5). On a full reading of the 1998 and 2012 Rules together, the Court found that the "Master" post under the old 1998 Rules, not the C&V Teacher post itself, was the true equivalent of the "TGT" post under the 2012 Rules, since the 2012 Rules' own definition of TGT expressly includes "Masters appointed before notification of these rules." The phrase "converted to TGT" in Rule 9(5) was meant only to bring the dying C&V cadre (where no further recruitment was being made) under the umbrella of the new 2012 Rules for service-condition purposes, not to upgrade them into full members of the promotion-eligible TGT cadre overnight. Treating C&V Teachers as automatically part of the TGT cadre would also undermine the Rules' purpose of ensuring elementary education is imparted by properly qualified Trained Graduate Teachers. The Court therefore allowed the State's appeal and set aside the High Court's judgment, while noting the State could still consider giving such C&V teachers a fair opportunity to qualify for TGT appointment through the proper route.
When a service rule uses a phrase like "converted to" a higher post, courts will read it in the context of the rules as a whole rather than literally: a deeming provision meant only to avoid leaving an old cadre without any governing rules does not automatically confer full membership (and promotion rights) in the new cadre if the rest of the regulatory scheme shows otherwise.
