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 moreVinod Kumar Singh sought a compassionate appointment from the Uttar Pradesh government, a benefit ordinarily given to a dependent of a deceased government employee to help the family cope with sudden loss of income. The State opposed his claim before the Supreme Court, pointing to an earlier 2011 order of the Court dismissing a related special leave petition on a connected point. Pending the final outcome, the Supreme Court had earlier passed an interim order dated 21.07.2017 allowing his appointment on compassionate grounds.
The Supreme Court acknowledged the State's "formidable" legal objection based on the 2011 dismissal order, but held that the particular facts of this case justified invoking the Court's special constitutional power under Article 142 (which allows the Supreme Court to pass any order necessary to do complete justice) to bring finality to the dispute. It accordingly made its own earlier interim order, permitting the compassionate appointment, absolute, and disposed of the appeal on that basis, while expressly clarifying that this outcome was confined to the unique facts of the case and should not be treated as a general precedent for future compassionate-appointment claims.
The Supreme Court can use its special Article 142 power to grant relief in a particular case even where the strict legal position might otherwise go against the claimant, but such a ruling is explicitly fact-specific and does not create a precedent that others can automatically rely on.
