Lucknow: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken note of an open letter by a woman judge serving at a district court in the state in which she had accused her senior of sexual harassment.
The NHRC has initiated a case of sexual harassment against the accused judge. The case was lodged after a petition was filed before the NHRC by DK Foundation of Freedom and Justice – an NGO.
Last week, a letter had gone viral on social media where the complainant of sexual harassment had sought permission from the Supreme Court for euthanasia. In her complaint, the judge has accused a senior of sexual harassment and alleged that she has not got relief despite having approached all possible forums. The three-page letter had purportedly bore the signature of the judge about sexual harassment by a senior judge and his associates. It had further elaborated that all forums, including appellate court in Allahabad, were approached, but no action took place.
The letter talks about complaints made to the internal complaints committee of the HC in July 2023. “The witnesses in the inquiry were immediate subordinates of the senior judge. How the committee expects the witnesses to depose against their senior is beyond understanding,” the letter reads. It further raises the allegations that for a fair inquiry, the witness ought not to be in the administrative control of the respondent (accused).
The letter further said that an appeal was made for the district judge to be transferred during the pendency of the inquiry, but it was not heeded to. “I did not expect that my complaints and statements would be taken as the cardinal truth. All I wished for was a fair inquiry,” it said.
