Haryana : Judge suspended for molesting female lawyer in court: Pulled to his side and removed hair from face; cctv footage went viral
A woman lawyer was molested by the Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) in Haryana’s Bhiwani. The judge also invited him to come to his chamber. The incident took place in Bhiwani Court Complex itself. Not only this, when the High Court suspended ADJ on the complaint of the female lawyer, he got the CCTV footage related to the incident viral through a lawyer.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has suspended the ADJ and started further action. Meanwhile, after the footage went viral, the woman lawyer gave a complaint to the police. Based on this complaint, a case was registered against the suspended ADJ and his fellow advocate at Bhiwani Mahila Police Station under sections 354-A, 509, 34 of the IPC and 67 IT of the IT Act.
Allegation – Invited to come to the chamber after molesting
In the complaint given to Bhiwani SP, the woman lawyer told that she has been practicing in Bhiwani court for about 16 years.
According to the woman lawyer, at around 2:12 pm on August 12, she was descending the stairs from the first floor in the court complex with her junior advocate. At the same time ADJ posted in Bhiwani court got down from someone’s bike and came towards the sessions court. When he did Namaste ritually, ADJ called his name and asked that you are the lawyer, aren’t you?
According to the woman lawyer, before she could answer, the ADJ dragged her towards him by placing a hand on her shoulder. After this ADJ started removing the hair on his face. At that time ADJ’s mouth smelled of alcohol and he was drunk. He distanced himself from ADJ somehow.
The woman lawyer wrote in her complaint that the ADJ also asked her about her junior advocate and then left saying that after 15 minutes, she should come and meet him in his chamber.
Sessions Judge sent complaint to High Court
According to the woman lawyer, she was stunned by this entire behavior of the ADJ and the next day i.e. on August 13, she reached the sessions judge of Bhiwani with a complaint. After hearing his ordeal, the sessions judge called for the footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the court premises. His statement was confirmed by the CCTV footage.
The sessions judge sent his complaint and the CCTV footage of the court premises to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Realizing the seriousness of the matter, the High Court formed a special inquiry committee. The statements of the women lawyers have been recorded before this committee. During this entire process, the High Court suspended the ADJ.
Footage went viral
In the complaint given to the SP, the woman lawyer said that in order to defame her, the suspended ADJ on September 1, 2022, gave the CCTV footage related to the incident to a lawyer sitting with her. That lawyer made the footage viral. He came to know about this when this footage reached some of his acquaintances. Only then did he decide to file a police complaint.
The woman lawyer alleged that she was facing threat to her life from the accused. Bhiwani SP sent the lawyer’s complaint to the Mahila Police Station where a case was registered against the suspended ADJ and his fellow lawyer under different sections.
