Following alleged misbehaviour by a lawyer in a woman judge’s courtroom a week ago, Delhi Judicial Service Association Thursday passed a resolution requesting Delhi High Court and Bar Council of Delhi to take “appropriate steps” in the matter.
The association condemned the use of “sexually explicit remarks” allegedly made against the judge. She has accused the lawyer of using “filthy and abusive language” during proceedings in a case and police have registered an FIR against him on her complaint.
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The FIR has been registered under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 169 (public servant unlawfully buying or bidding for property), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his/her duty), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. No arrest has been made in the case.
In her complaint, the judge told the police the lawyer used abusive language in the court and started “thumping the table” during the proceedings.
According to the complaint, he allegedly used a “threatening tone” seeking transfer of the case. And when the judge adjourned the matter, the lawyer allegedly continued using “filthy and abusive language”.
The incident took place on October 30 when the advocate had appeared before the magistrate in connection with a vehicle impound case in a drink-driving matter and moved a plea to release it, said sources.
Through the resolution, the association also requested the government to provide security to judges to “avoid recurrence of such kind of incidents”.
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“The members of Delhi Judicial Service Association have unanimously resolved that it condemns the act of the advocate, who in the courtroom violated the dignity of the woman judge, having passed sexually coloured remarks. It is also resolved that to maintain rule of law, the dignity of the judges needs to be protected and there should be stern action against such kind of lapsed behaviour,” Rajesh Malik, honorary secretary of the association, told The Indian Express. “We expect that the law enforcement agencies shall do their work without being influenced by any quarter.”
Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies.
With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health.
His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award.
Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time.
Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More
