Soni Satti
A sexual harassment complaint was lodged against the district judge after he sent inappropriate messages to a junior judicial officer.
A Madhya Pradesh district judge pleaded before the Supreme Court seeking to quash disciplinary proceedings against him following a sexual harassment complaint by a junior judicial officer (Shambhoo Singh Raghuvanshi v. The High Court of Madhya Pradesh)
While rejecting to hear his plea, the CJI said,
“You are walking on very thin ice. You may have a chance that you may be acquitted. But as matters stand now, you are convicted. Sexual harassment allegations cannot be brushed under the carpet like this.”
The petitioner judge requested the Court to allow him to approach another forum; the Bench of CJI Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian stated that there was no res judicata against him.
“There is no res judicata. Let there be res judicata finding and we will see. Allowed to withdraw with liberty to approach correct forum,” the Court said.
The Apex Court took this stance even though the junior judicial officer had withdrawn her complaint under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act).
