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 moreTwo civil suits concerned about 14.5 acres of land in a village. The plaintiffs claimed ownership through their family from 1916, while the defendants said the land was held on behalf of the villagers. The main evidence on both sides was old revenue records (mutation entries), and a State revenue order had declared the 1916 and 1927 entries doubtful because of overwriting. The trial court dismissed the suits, but the first appellate court and the High Court ruled for the plaintiffs.
The Court accepted that mutation entries do not conclusively prove title, but it found that the plaintiffs' title was established by specific documents tied to the disputed survey numbers and by the revenue findings, which had been approved in the appeal proceedings. The defendants had not produced conclusive proof that compensation for a government acquisition had been received on behalf of the villagers. On limitation, the amendment adding a claim for a declaration of title related back to the date the suits were filed, and since the defendants had not challenged that amendment, the limitation argument failed. The appeals were dismissed, with no order as to costs.
Revenue records such as mutation entries are useful evidence of who holds land, but they do not by themselves prove ownership, which depends on the full set of documents. If a claim is amended during a lawsuit, the amendment can be treated as filed on the date of the original suit, unless the other side successfully challenges it.
