Gwalior HC Bench Judge Resigns Alleging Sexual Harassment by Senior

In another major blow to the integrity of the Indian judiciary, a High Court Judge from Madhya Pradesh has been implicated in a sexual harassment case by an additional judge. Ironically, the additional judge was heading the Vishakha Committee against sexual harassment.

The additional district and sessions judge, in her complaint to the Chief Justice of India and other Supreme Court judges, has alleged that the administrative judge from Gwalior bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court harassed her to visit him alone in his bungalow, as per news reports. The judge reportedly went to the extent of asking her to 'dance on an item song' at his residence.

In her complaint addressed to CJI RM Lodha and Supreme Court judges, she has alleged that the administrative judge had sent a message to her via a district registrar asking her to "perform a dance on an item song" for a function at his residence, according to The Times of India.

The complainant said she stayed away from the said function on the pretext of celebrating her daughter's birthday.

However, she complained that the next day she was subjected to a demeaning comment from the judge, who told her, "(he) missed the opportunity of viewing a sexy and beautiful figure dancing on the floor and that he is desperate to see the same".

Apart from sexual harassment, the complainant also cited that she was transferred by the judge who overruled the transfer policy of the high court. "The administrative judge, along with district judge and district judge (inspection), possibly made a false, frivolous, baseless and malicious reporting to the chief justice of MP and got me transferred on July 8, in the mid-academic session of my daughters to a remote place Sidhi by overruling the transfer policy of MP HC," she has said in her complaint.

The complainant had said that in response to her appeal against the transfer, he told her that it was because she had not fulfilled his "aspirations" and that he would spoil her career.

The additional judge finally went on to resign on 15 July in "compelling, humiliating and disgraceful circumstances to save my dignity, womanhood, self-esteem and career of my daughter".

This incident has come to light less than a year after a shocking revelation by a law intern who accused former Supreme Court judge Justice AK Ganguly of sexually harassing her, and charges of sexual harassment leveled against Supreme Court judge Justice Swatenter Kumar.