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 moreThe appellant-husband's marriage lasted only about 20 days of cohabitation before he left for Australia for work; his wife alleged he was cold and distant, avoided the "nuptial night," and that his family stopped speaking to her, and she also alleged her parents spent large sums on the wedding and gold ornaments. A criminal case under Sections 498A (cruelty) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) IPC was registered and charge-sheeted, and the High Court declined to quash the proceedings, instead directing the appellants to seek procedural relief (recall of a non-bailable warrant, exemption from personal appearance) from the trial court.
The Supreme Court held that even taking the FIR and charge-sheet allegations at face value, they did not disclose any wilful conduct amounting to cruelty under Section 498A, nor any dowry demand, nor the ingredients of criminal breach of trust under Section 405/406 IPC. The complaint amounted at best to the wife's general unhappiness with the marriage, not acts meeting the statutory definitions. The Court therefore allowed the appeal, set aside the High Court's order, and quashed the criminal proceedings against both appellants.
A criminal complaint of matrimonial cruelty or dowry harassment cannot survive merely on generalized allegations of marital unhappiness or coldness: courts will quash such proceedings at the threshold if the FIR and charge-sheet, even taken as wholly true, do not disclose the specific legal ingredients of the offence alleged.
