UP judge writes open letter alleging sexual harassment by senior; CJI seeks report
Chief Justice Chandrachud swung into action after an open letter written by a woman judge seeking his permission to end her life went viral
Taking note of an open letter to him by a woman subordinate judge of Uttar Pradesh alleging sexual harassment by a superior judge, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Thursday (December 14) sought a status report from the Allahabad High Court.
In her letter, which went viral on social media, the woman civil judge, posted in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh alleged that a district judge was sexually harassing her and his associates, asking her to see him at night. The woman judge also alleged that the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court did not act after she lodged a complaint with him and sought permission to end her life.
“In the short time of my service, I have had the rare honour of being abused on dias in 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. What naive me!” the judge wrote in her letter, bemoaning her fate as a judge.
“I have been sexually harassed by one particular district judge and his associates. I was told to meet the district judge at night,” the judge stated further about her travails, adding, “No one even bothered to ask me: WHAT HAPPENENED, WHY ARE YOU DISTRESSED?”
According to the media reports citing sources, CJI Chandrachud has directed the Supreme Court Secretariat to call in a status report from the Allahabad High Court.
The acting Chief Justice of the High Court on Thursday evening (December 14) spoke with the Supreme Court Secretary-General over the phone and acknowledged the open letter.
The woman judge is learned to have complained to the Internal Complaints Committee of the Allahabad High Court, as well, about her trauma and called the proposed inquiry by the high court “a Farce and a Sham” in her letter.
Using lingua juris, the judge sought the CJI’s permission for her life to be “dismissed”. “Kindly permit me to end my life in a dignified way. Let my life be: DISMISSED,” she thus concluded her letter.