CJI Seeks Report as Woman Judicial Officer in UP Alleges Harassment, Contemplates Suicide

New Delhi: Following distressing revelations, Chief Justice of India, Justice DY Chandrachud, has taken immediate action, instructing Supreme Court Secretary General Atul M Kurhekar to write to the registrar general of the Allahabad High Court asking for a report by this morning on the status of all the complaints by the woman judge. The Supreme Court Registry has already requested the necessary information and expects a report by Friday.

The Supreme Court's intervention comes after the complainant judge expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing inquiry, labelling it as a "farce and a sham."  "The witnesses in the enquiry are immediate Subordinates of the District Judge. How the Committee expects the Witnesses to depose against their Boss is beyond my understanding," she wrote in an open letter.

She said that she had requested the transfer of the judge pending the inquiry to ensure a fair investigation, but her petition was dismissed by the Supreme Court in "just eight seconds."

"All I requested was that the District Judge be transferred during the pendency of the inquiry. The bare minimum prayer was not heeded," the letter said.

She highlights the conflict of interest in the investigation, as the witnesses are immediate subordinates of the accused district judge.

What Transpired

A woman judicial officer from Uttar Pradesh penned an open letter to CJI D Y Chandrachud, alleging sexual harassment by her senior during her previous posting six months ago. The letter, which went viral on social media, expresses the woman's despair at the lack of a fair inquiry and justice, leading her to contemplate ending her life.

The two-page letter details the woman's traumatic experiences, stating, "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."

She further alleges, "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." The letter also reveals a failed suicide attempt, with the woman expressing a deep sense of hopelessness.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain a plea by the complainant judge, citing the ongoing internal complaints committee inquiry. In response to this, the woman wrote an open letter to the CJI, seeking permission to end her life. She implores "working women in India" not to fight against the system, emphasising her own struggles to obtain a fair inquiry.

The woman judge had also requested the transfer of the accused district judge during the inquiry, a plea dismissed by the Supreme Court in a mere eight seconds, as mentioned in her letter.