New Delhi: As the number of sexual harassment cases are getting increasingly exposed day by day, as an effect of “#MeToo” movement, the plea of reinstatement of a woman judicial officer, who had quit her post in the year 2014, based on the allegations of sexual harassment by a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, has now been taken into consideration by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice A K Sikri accepted the petition filed by a former District and Sessions judge. It also issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
Responding to the urgency shown in the case by the woman judicial officer’s lawyer, the bench stated, “The notices will be returnable in six weeks. Hearing of the case will be carried on, once we get the response.”
In the petition, it is cited that the report submitted by an inquiry panel was constituted by the upper house, Rajya Sabha.
A notice to move a motion to impeach the High Court Judge of MP was given by the Rajya Sabha members which constituted 58 members. The inquiry panel was set up in the year 2015 after the motion was moved.
The report was tabled in the Rajya Sabha, last December, by a committee which comprised of Supreme Court judges Justice R Banumathi, Justice Manjula Chellur (since retired) and .
In the conclusion of the report regarding the allegations of sexual harassment, it was stated, “Proved beyond reasonable doubt.”
The panel had given its decision saying that the act of transfer of the woman judicial officer was not justified.
In the report, it is mentioned that the complainant (woman judicial officer) had no option but to resign from the post, as her daughter had to face the board exams of 12th.
It also stated that the transfer of the woman judicial officer to Sidhi (a tribal district in MP) could not be tolerated by her, as a result she had to discontinue her service, which had later led to her resignation.
Based on the findings regarding her transfer, she is now reportedly reinstated.
