Navigating Suspension: Rights, Entitlements and Liabilities of Maharashtra Civil Servants

Suspension is one of the most distressing phases in a public servant’s career. It is technically a temporary administrative measure, not a final penalty, yet the sudden loss of active duty, reduced income and social stigma are very real.

For Government employees in Maharashtra, suspension is governed mainly by Rule 4 of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979 (“MCS (D&A) Rules”), read with the Maharashtra Civil Services (Joining Time, Foreign Service and Payments during Suspension, Dismissal and Removal) Rules, 1981 (“MCS Payments Rules”) and the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1979.

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The Prajwala Verdict: How the Supreme Court Brought a Paradigm Shift to India’s Anti-Trafficking Jurisprudence

 

Manual of Vigilance: 6 Critical Shifts in India’s Judicial Response to Human Trafficking

The scale of human trafficking in India is a staggering humanitarian crisis. As far back as 2004, the Union of India acknowledged the existence of at least 30 lakh victims. For decades, our legal approach was stunted by the Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Girls Act (SITA), a framework that prioritized "suppression" over the holistic dignity of the survivor. The Justice Verma Committee legacy finally signaled a hard-won victory for survivors, pivoting the law from mere suppression toward "prevention and protection."

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“From Well to Witness Box”: Two Medico‑Legal Concepts Every Sessions Judge Should Master

 In trials of homicide based on circumstantial evidence, the real battleground often lies not in direct testimony but in medical jurisprudence:

1. correctly classifying the nature of death, and

2. safely accepting identification of a decomposed body without “perfect” science like DNA.

The Supreme Court’s decision in Neelu Nilesh Koshti v. State of Madhya Pradesh is a useful illustration of both points for trial courts, and it is consistent with well‑accepted forensic principles set out in standard medico‑legal texts such as Modi and with classic rules such as Casper’s dictum.

I. Homicidal Death by Throttling: How the Body Speaks of Violence

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Supreme Court: Can a partially decomposed body recovered from a well be reliably identified without DNA?

Identification of Decomposed Body — Medical Jurisprudence — Absence of DNA testing does not vitiate identification when credible and consistent testimonies of witnesses who knew the deceased personally are available - Relying on Modi’s Textbook of Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology, Supreme Court noted that putrefaction in water is slower than in air, especially when the body is protected by clothing - Identification based on clothing and recognizable facial features by familial and close witnesses is legally sustainable.

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

Criminal Appeal No. 5357 of 2025 

Decided On: 20.02.2026

Neelu Vs. The State of Madhya Pradesh

Hon'ble Judges/Coram:

Prashant Kumar Mishra and V.M. Pancholi, JJ.

Author: Prashant Kumar Mishra, J.

 Citation: 2026 INSC 173, MANU/SC/0174/2026.

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