No SC relief for judicial officer accused of sexually harassing woman court staff

A suspended judicial officer, facing disciplinary proceedings on allegations of sexually harassing a woman court employee, failed to get relief Wednesday from the Supreme Court which dismissed his plea seeking quashing of the inquiry initiated against him.

The apex court said there was "no error" in the July 13, 2016 decision of the full court of the Delhi High Court by which the judicial officer was suspended and inquiry proceeding initiated.

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and Navin Sinha delivered the verdict on a plea by the officer, who was working as an Additional District Judge at a district court in Delhi, challenging the jurisdiction of the high court in initiating inquiry and placing him under suspension.

"We, thus, are of the view that there is no error in the decision of the full court (of high court) dated July 13, 2016 to suspend the petitioner and initiate the inquiry proceedings against the petitioner," the bench said, adding, "The power to suspend the judicial officer vests in the high court."
Dealing with the petitioner's contention regarding the jurisdiction of the full court in initiating inquiry and placing him under suspension, the bench said, "The full court of the high court is in no manner precluded from initiating disciplinary inquiry against the petitioner and placing the petitioner under suspension on being satisfied that sufficient material existed."