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.
14543 more judgements for members
You're seeing the newest cases. Log in — it's free — to keep scrolling, search by name or judge, and filter by court or legal area.
Log in to see morePolice on patrol on the Manali-Kullu road stopped a car and recovered 18.85 kg of cannabis mixture from a rucksack near the feet of one of the accused. The trial court convicted two of the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, sentencing them to 12 years' rigorous imprisonment, but the Himachal Pradesh High Court acquitted them, doubting the case because no independent witnesses were examined and because the seized contraband parcel reached the trial court in a torn condition. The State appealed the acquittal to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court held that examining independent witnesses is not an indispensable legal requirement, and the prosecution's explanation, that no independent witnesses were available due to extreme cold at the time of the late-evening recovery, was credible, especially given there was no evidence of any animosity between police and the accused and the large quantity of contraband recovered made planting unlikely. On the torn parcel, the Court found the explanation (bulkiness and nails on a stool) was corroborated by unchallenged witness testimony, and the forensic examiner found nothing suggesting tampering. The Court therefore set aside the High Court's acquittal, restored the trial court's conviction and sentence, and directed the accused to surrender to serve the remaining sentence.
In criminal trials, especially for recoveries of contraband made at odd hours or in remote locations, the absence of independent witnesses does not automatically undermine the prosecution's case if a credible explanation is given and there is no evidence of ill will or tampering: appellate courts should not overturn a conviction based on minor procedural imperfections unless they genuinely create reasonable doubt.
