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Maternity leave as a facet of reproductive rights and dignity is a constitutional guarantee, requiring service rules to be interpreted liberally, not restricting benefit based on children from a previous marriage not in the employee’s custody. A flawed investigation, suppression of material evidence in the form of contradictory witness affidavits, and failure to address glaring inconsistencies render prosecution evidence unreliable, necessitating acquittal to ensure a fair trial. Five golden principles for cases based on circumstantial evidence reiterated: (1) circumstances establishing conclusion of guilt must be fully established; (2) facts established consistent only with hypothesis of guilt; (3) circumstances conclusive in nature; (4) exclude every possible hypothesis except guilt; (5) complete chain of evidence leaving no reasonable ground for innocence Appellant Trust’s contentions regarding non-demarcation, encroachment, and non-delivery of possession are baseless; demarcation was done and acknowledged, alleged encroachment is not proven by evidence, and delivery of possession was contingent on execution of lease deed, a condition appellant failed to meet — Respondent Corporation’s actions were in accordance with prescribed procedures and allotment terms Environmental Law — Public Trust Doctrine — MCGM’s mandate to develop recreational spaces providing legal foundation for project — Prior condition of water body suggested degradation, not functional lake — Completed park providing substantial public benefit, including green space and recreational amenities utilized by community — Post facto sanction restricting land use to recreational purposes providing legal safeguard — Delay in filing petition undermining challenge — Direction to maintain park in perpetuity for public use, explore alternative water body, and restore other deteriorated water bodies by MCGM.

Narcotics—Burden of Proof—Mere registration of a case under the Act will not ipso facto shift the burden on to the accused from the very inception. Narcotics—Case Property—Mere fact of a FSL Report being available is no confirmation either of the seizure or that what was seized was contraband, in absence of the production of the seized item in Court as an exhibit.

(2018) 1 AllCrlRulings 14 : (2018) 2 JT 102 : (2018) 1 KerLJ 101 : (2017) 4 LawHerald(SC) 2947 : (2018) 1 RCR(Criminal) 108 : (2017) 6 RecentApexJudgments(RAJ) 339 : (2017) 14 Scale 90…

Service Matters

Service Law—Superannuation—Parity-Assistant Public Prosecutors are not entitled to be treated at par with Public Prosecutors and other officers whose age of superannuation is specified at 60 years— The fact that the nature of duties and functions of Assistant Public Prosecutors and Public Prosecutors are similar, per se, cannot be the basis to claim parity with Public Prosecutors in respect of age of superannuation.

    (2018) 2 LawHerald(SC) 605 : (2018) 7 SCALE 516 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH KERALA ASSISTANT PUBLIC PROSECUTORS ASSOCIATION — Appellant Vs. STATE OF KERALA — Respondent ( Before : Dipak Misra,…

Anticipatory Bail—Question referred to larger bench whether – (i) Whether the protection granted to a person under Section 438 CrPC should be limited to a fixed period so as to enable the person to surrender before the Trial Court and seek regular bail. (ii) Whether the life of an anticipatory bail should end at the time and stage when the accused is summoned by the court.

  (2018) 5 JT 137 : (2018) 2 LawHerald(SC) 596 : (2018) 7 SCALE 549 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH SUSHILA AGGARWAL — Appellant Vs. STATE (NCT OF DELHI) — Respondent…

Forgery—An offence of forgery cannot lie against a person who has not created it or signed it—Making of document is different than causing it to be made. Forgery—Evidence on record clearly reveals that power of attorney was not executed by the complainant and the beneficiary was the accused—Still the accused cannot be convicted as both the accused cannot be held as maker of forged documents.

(2018) AIR(SC) 2434 : (2018) CriLR 527 : (2018) 2 LawHerald(SC) 581 : (2018) 7 SCALE 362 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SHEILA SEBASTIAN — Appellant Vs. R. JAWAHARAJ — Respondent…

Culpable Homicide—Acquittal—Navjot Singh Sidhu case—Accused gave a single fist blow on head of deceased in a road rage which proved fatal—Cause of death was bleeding/hemorrhage in brain—Medical evidence did not support the allegation that brain injury was due to head injury inflicted by accused—Accused acquitted u/s 304 Part I and convicted u/s 323 IPC.

  (2018) AIR(SC) 2395 : (2018) 5 JT 182 : (2018) 2 LawHerald(SC) 562 : (2018) 7 SCALE 402 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RUPINDER SINGH SANDHU — Appellant Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB…