In open letter to CJI, woman judge alleges sexual harassment, says ‘want to end life’

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Dec 15, 2023: Alleging sexual harassment by her senior in her previous posting six months ago, a young woman judicial officer in Uttar Pradesh has written an open letter to the Chief Justice of India seeking permission to end her life, saying she has no hope of getting a fair inquiry, let alone justice.

 

In the two-page letter, she wrote: “I joined the judicial service with much enthusiasm and belief that I would dispense justice to the common folk. What did I know that I’ll soon be rendered a beggar for justice on every door that I go. In the short time of my service, I have had the rare honour of being abused on the dais in an open court.”

“I have been sexually harassed to the very limit. I have been treated like utter garbage. I feel like an unwanted insect. And I hoped to provide justice to others,” she wrote in the letter, which went viral on social media on Thursday.

“I did not expect that my complaints and statement be taken as cardinal truth. All I wished for was a fair enquiry,” she said, alleging that she was asked to meet her senior at night. She claimed to have tried to die by suicide, but the “attempt was not successful”.

“I have no will to live anymore. I have been rendered to a walking corpse in the last one-and-a-half year. There is no purpose in carrying this soulless and lifeless body around anymore. There is no purpose left in my life. Kindly permit me to end my life in a dignified way. Let my life be dismissed,” she wrote to the CJI.

The Supreme Court, on instructions from Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, has sought a report from the Allahabad High Court on the status of the complaints filed by a woman judicial officer. Sources said the SC Registry had sought the details late Thursday evening and is expecting a report by Friday.

The Supreme Court had on December 13 refused to entertain a plea by the complainant judge noting that the internal complaints committee concerned is already seized of the matter and has passed a resolution for approval of the HC Chief Justice following which the complainant, who is a civil judge in Banda district, wrote an open letter to the CJI seeking permission to end her life.

She asked “working women in India” not to make attempts to “fight against the system”. “If any of the women think that you’ll fight against the system. Let me tell you, I couldn’t. And I am a judge. I could not even muster a fair inquiry for myself. Let alone justice. I advise all women to learn to be a toy or a non-living thing.”

Neither the woman judge nor her senior could be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Courtesy: Indian Express