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.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1073
In circumstantial-evidence cases, forensic and DNA evidence must actually corroborate the alleged crime: a conviction cannot survive where the most crucial scientific evidence, on its own terms, points away from rather than toward the prosecution's theory.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1074
A conviction based purely on circumstantial evidence requires every link in the chain, timeline, witness credibility, forensic matches, and motive, to be proven beyond reasonable doubt; gaps or suppressed evidence at any link entitle the accused to the benefit of the doubt, even in a serious case like a double murder.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8505
Courts will not quash a criminal case merely because the accused has a plausible alibi-type defence; unless that defence is conclusive and undisputed, the matter must be tested through the ordinary trial process.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8547
A private compromise between victim and accused cannot by itself secure quashing of a case involving serious, heinous allegations like attempted murder with a weapon: such matters must proceed to trial regardless of settlement.
First Appeal from Order · 2026:DHC:8563
Railway Claims Tribunals cannot reject a bona fide passenger's death claim based on speculative inferences when there is no direct evidence of an alternative cause of death; the compensation scheme under the Railways Act is to be interpreted generously in favour of victims' families.
Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8559
In matrimonial offences, courts can and do quash criminal proceedings once a genuine compromise is verified directly with the complainant, sparing both parties a prolonged and pointless trial.
Bail Application · 2026:DHC:8541
A co-accused's bail does not automatically extend to another accused where their actual roles in the offence differ materially; delay caused by one's own defence counsel cannot later be used as a ground for bail.
Execution Petition · 2026:DHC:8567
An arbitral award must be adequately stamped before a court can enforce it; courts give only a limited window to cure such defects, after which the award becomes legally unusable until the deficiency is fixed.
Arbitration Petition · 2026:DHC:8555
A genuine settlement reached through mediation renders a pending arbitration-related court petition moot, allowing parties to close out litigation quickly once they resolve their dispute privately.
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Legal Case Shots is a searchable database of Supreme Court of India judgments, each broken down into the case type, the court's key holding, and a practical lesson learnt, with the full judgment available as a PDF for citation or deeper reading.
The respondent was initially appointed as an Assistant Teacher in Odisha in 1997 under a selection list that recorded her as having scored 114.80 marks. After unsuccessful candidates alleged irregularities, the State Administrative Tribunal ordered a fresh, re-worked select list, under which the respondent's marks were recalculated at 109.86, below the cut-off, and she was terminated in 2006. The Odisha High Court later relied on the original 1997 list (obtained by the respondent through an RTI request) to direct that she be treated as having scored 114.80 marks and reinstated in the selection process.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court erred in relying on the original 1997 select list, because that list had already been set aside by the Tribunal for irregularities and replaced by a properly re-verified select list. Information obtained under the RTI Act about a superseded document could not revive its legal effect. The re-selection list showing the respondent's correct marks as 109.86 (verified through the actual viva-voce and academic scores) was the only legally operative list, and since 109.86 was below the last selected candidate's 111.53 marks, the respondent was not entitled to appointment. The Court set aside the High Court's orders and allowed the State's appeal.
A government record obtained through an RTI request reflects historical paperwork, not necessarily a currently valid or legally binding decision: if that document was itself superseded or annulled by a competent authority, it cannot be used to claim rights based on its contents.
