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 moreA nine-year-old girl, staying at her aunt's house while attending school, told her teachers that the respondent-accused (her cousin, the aunt's son) had been repeatedly raping her at night for about three years; she had refused to return to the house after one such night. The trial court convicted the accused under Section 376 IPC and sentenced him to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment plus a fine, relying on the child's testimony and medical evidence. The Himachal Pradesh High Court overturned the conviction and acquitted him, holding that the medical evidence was inconclusive and that the child's testimony did not inspire confidence. The State of Himachal Pradesh appealed to the Supreme Court; since the accused did not appear, an amicus counsel was appointed to represent him.
The Supreme Court held that a conviction for rape can rest solely on the victim's testimony if it inspires confidence, without need for corroboration, especially for a child victim with no motive to falsely implicate a relative. It found the trial court's assessment of the child's credible, consistent testimony should not have been disturbed absent a compelling reason, and that the absence of hymenal rupture does not disprove penetration, since the examining doctor herself explained that slight penetration need not rupture the hymen. The Court also rejected the defence argument that non-examination of the aunt was fatal to the prosecution, noting the accused could equally have called his own mother as a witness. It set aside the High Court's acquittal, restored the trial court's conviction and 10-year sentence, and directed the accused to surrender within four weeks.
In sexual assault cases, especially involving children, a credible and consistent victim testimony alone is sufficient for conviction without independent corroboration, and the absence of visible physical injury does not by itself disprove that an assault occurred.
