Partial allowance of appeals to achieve balanced judicial outcomes

Partially allowing an appeal represents a refined judicial mechanism to correct lower court errors while preserving sound legal findings made by intermediate appellate benches. When a High Court correctly denies specific performance due to a buyer's lack of readiness but erroneously permits complete forfeiture of earnest money, the apex court intervenes to correct the equitable imbalance. The appellate tribunal upholds the dismissal of the specific performance decree while modifying the monetary directions to order consolidated compensation. This balanced approach respects the factual findings regarding contractual default while enforcing overarching principles of equity and restitution. Partial allowance ensures that neither party emerges completely defeated or unfairly enriched, reflecting a pragmatic resolution of complex property disputes. Therefore, partially modifying the judgment under appeal achieves full substantive justice between the contesting parties. (Subhash Aggarwal v. Mahender Pal Chhabra & Anr. | 2026 INSC 11)