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 moreMaharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co., licensed to process and sell hybrid seeds, stored a large, unsegregated stock of genetically modified cotton seed at its Dhanora godown without furnishing licence details or stock information to inspecting Seed Inspectors despite repeated requests. The State authorities sealed the godown in December 2017 for alleged licence violations. The Bombay High Court (Nagpur Bench) allowed the company's writ petition, ordering the godowns de-sealed, on the view that no licence was needed for mere storage and that Seed Inspectors had no power to seal premises under the Seeds Act. The State appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court held that although the Seeds Act, 1966 does not expressly mention a power to "seal" premises, Section 14(1)(e)'s residual power to "exercise such other powers as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of the Act" implicitly empowers a Seed Inspector to seal premises in rare, exceptional cases of serious non-compliance, subject to safeguards, including recording reasons and reporting to the Magistrate and superior officers. On the facts, the company's failure to provide licence proof or properly segregated stock details justified the sealing, so it was not arbitrary. The Court therefore set aside the High Court's contrary findings and allowed the State's appeal (while noting the godown had already been de-sealed pursuant to the earlier High Court order, so no further direction on that point was needed).
Regulatory inspectors can possess implied enforcement powers (like sealing premises) flowing from a statute's general "residual powers" clause even where not expressly spelled out, but such drastic powers must be used only in rare/exceptional circumstances with documented reasons and proper reporting: businesses holding regulated licences must be prepared to promptly furnish licence and stock records to inspecting authorities.
