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 granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court in a case under Section 18 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. After being released, he was arrested again for a fresh offence under the same Act. The State of Jharkhand challenged the original bail order before the Supreme Court, pointing out that the trial in the first case had already progressed significantly, with only three witnesses left to be examined.
The respondent argued the recovered contraband was only of "intermediate" (not commercial) quantity, so the stricter bail conditions under Section 37 of the NDPS Act should not apply, and that this was not a case of bail being cancelled for breaking any bail condition. The Supreme Court nevertheless held that, given the nature of the offence and the fact that the respondent had been arrested again for a similar narcotics offence while out on bail, it was appropriate to set aside the bail order and take him back into custody. The Court also directed the trial court to expedite and conclude the pending trial, preferably within four months.
Being arrested again for a similar offence while out on bail can be a valid ground for the courts to cancel that bail, even without a formal breach of the original bail conditions, because it reflects on whether the accused can be trusted with continued liberty.
