Gwalior lady judge complains to CJI of harassment from superior judge - media reports

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 05, 2014:  In wide spread reports in the media it is alleged that an additional district and sessions judge in Gwalior, who was heading the Vishaka committee against sexual harassment, could not save herself from the prying eyes of a Madhya Pradesh high court judge and had to resign from judicial service to protect her "dignity, womanhood and self-esteem".

After practicing law for 15 years in Delhi courts, she passed the MP Higher Judicial Service exam and was posted in Gwalior on August 1, 2011. After training under Justice D K Paliwal, she was posted as additional district and sessions judge in Gwalior in October 2012.

In April 2013, she was appointed chairperson of District Vishaka Committee. Her annual confidential report of January 2014 termed her work "excellent and outstanding". But that was not enough. The administrative judge from Gwalior bench of Madhya Pradesh HC kept pestering her to visit him in his bungalow alone, she alleged.

In her complaint to Chief Justice of India R M Lodha and Supreme Court judges Justices H L Dattu, T S Thakur, Anil R Dave, Dipak Misra and Arun Misra, as well as the MP HC chief justice, she said the administrative judge sent her a message through the district registrar to "perform dance on an item song" at a function in his residence. She avoided the function on the pretext of her daughter’s birthday.

Responding to her complaint, Justice Lodha said, "This is the only profession where we refer to our colleagues as brothers and sisters. This is unfortunate. I will take appropriate action after the complaint is placed before me."   Wide developments are expected soon.