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 power transmission company (the government-owned APTRANSCO) had old disputes with a supplier over invoices, which went through arbitration, execution proceedings, and multiple rounds in the Punjab & Haryana and Hyderabad High Courts. The supplier eventually filed an insolvency petition under Section 9 of the IBC against the transmission company, claiming unpaid dues; the NCLT dismissed this petition, but the NCLAT (appellate insolvency tribunal) passed an interim-looking order effectively pressuring the transmission company to settle or face insolvency proceedings.
The Supreme Court held that although the NCLAT's order looked procedural, it in substance exposed the appellant to coercive insolvency action over a claim that was genuinely disputed. Relying on its earlier ruling in Innoventive Industries v. ICICI Bank, the Court reiterated that under Section 9 of the IBC, if a "dispute" already existed (here, through arbitration/litigation predating the insolvency notice) and is not spurious or illusory, the adjudicating authority must reject the insolvency application rather than examine its merits. Finding the NCLT's original dismissal of the insolvency petition fully justified, the Court set aside the NCLAT's order and, instead of remanding, directly dismissed the underlying company appeal before the NCLAT to avoid further delay.
The insolvency process (IBC) cannot be used as a substitute for recovering a genuinely disputed commercial debt: if a real pre-existing dispute exists, courts/tribunals must reject the insolvency petition rather than let it proceed.
