Nainital High Court suspended Rudraprayag District Judge on harassment charges, along with strict remarks

Uttarakhand High Court has suspended Rudraprayag District and Sessions Judge Anuj Kumar Sangal. He is accused of harassing a Class IV employee working under him as Registrar (Vigilance) of Uttarakhand High Court. It is alleged that due to this harassment, the employee had consumed poison. During the period of suspension, he will remain attached to the District and Sessions Court in Chamoli.

The suspension order has been issued by Registrar General Ashish Naithani on the instructions of the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court. The order states that a disciplinary inquiry is being considered on certain allegations against Anuj Kumar Sangal. A regular inquiry will be initiated against him under Rule 7 of the Uttarakhand Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 2003, hence he is suspended with immediate effect. Anuj Sangal is accused of harassing Harish Adhikari, a Class IV employee posted at his residence, during his posting as Registrar (Vigilance) by abusing him and threatening him with removal from service.

These are also allegations

It is alleged that the employee has been regularly harassed and harassed for his duty from 8 in the morning to 10 at night and even more. An attempt has been made to mislead the disciplinary authority by stating wrong facts in its reply dated 18 November 2023 regarding the employee’s working time and nature of work. The complainant has misused his authority by delaying the process of approval of earned leave. As a result his salary could not be withdrawn on time. Due to this harassment, the said Class IV employee consumed poison in front of his residence on January 3, 2023.

High Court’s comment

▪️Harassing a subordinate and threatening to remove him from service is inhuman conduct and unbecoming of a judicial officer and constitutes misconduct under Rule 3(1) and 3(2) of the Uttarakhand Government Servants Conduct Rules, 2002.

▪️Deliberately delaying the process of sanctioning an employee’s leave, withholding his salary and unfairly forcing a subordinate to take steps like consuming poison are also inhumane behaviour.

▪️An attempt has also been made to hide the entire matter of poisoning by a Class IV employee from the Chief Justice by using undue influence.