SC junks plea of lawyer convicted for abusing woman judge inside courtroom
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a lawyer's plea against his 18-month jail term for verbally assaulting a woman judge inside a courtroom in the national capital on October 30, 2015.
A bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan rejected the appeal of advocate Sanjay Rathore against the May 26 verdict of the Delhi High Court.
The high court refused to reduce the sentence awarded to the lawyer for outraging the modesty of the woman judicial officer.
“How can a woman judicial officer act and discharge the judicial functions?” the bench asked, referring to the lawyer's “abusive comments” during the court proceedings.
The lawyer was reportedly angry over the adjournment of his case related to the traffic challan and created a ruckus inside the courtroom besides using abusive and filthy language against the metropolitan magistrate.
The top court wasn't impressed by the lawyer's submissions for leniency and having "suffered a lot due to his acts".
“No. Nothing can be done..We have to see the nature of the case. Here a woman judicial officer is abused in a courtroom,” the bench retorted.
The high court while dismissing the plea of the lawyer said any act which threatened or intimidated a judge through gender-specific abuse was an assault on justice itself.
“When the dignity of any judicial officer is torn by way of use of filthy words proved beyond reasonable doubt, the law must act as the thread that would mend and restore it," the high court said on May 26.
Upholding his punishment, the high court ordered the lawyer's surrender within 15 days from the date of the order and said it was not merely individual misbehaviour, but a case in which "injustice was done to justice itself".
A judge who symbolises the impartial voice of the law became the target of personal attack while discharging her official duties, it added.
"It is a matter of deep concern that, at times, even the seat of justice cannot guarantee immunity from gendered abuse. When a female judge becomes the target of personal indignity and humiliation by an officer of the court – an advocate, as in the present case – it reflects not only a personal wrong but also the systemic vulnerability women continue to face, even at the highest echelons of legal authority," the high court said.
The high court also refused to reduce the lawyer's sentence to five months, which he had already served.
The court, however, modified the trial court's order for the jail term to run concurrently and not consecutively. The trial court had ordered consecutive jail terms, adding up to two years.
The woman presiding officer of the trial court submitted a formal complaint with the police after the incident in October 2015, alleging that the advocate "insulted her and outraged her modesty, being a female judicial officer and also insulted the court's dignity".
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NCW chief condemns rape-murder of 4-year-old girl in Pune, calls for swift action
New Delhi (PTI): National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has condemned the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune, calling it "deeply distressing" and a "blot on humanity".
The girl was allegedly raped and killed by a 65-year-old labourer, who has a criminal record, in Bhor tehsil of Pune on Friday. The accused allegedly lured the child to a cattle enclosure on the pretext of giving her food. After raping her, he killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to police.
The accused has been arrested.
In a post on X on Saturday, Rahatkar said the incident in the Nasrapur area in Pune was heartbreaking and has shaken society.
"The brutal torture and murder of a four-year-old innocent girl in Nasrapur (Bhor, Pune) is deeply painful, heartbreaking, and shocking. It is a blot on humanity," she said.
She said Pune Rural police has arrested the accused and noted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar have assured strict action in the case.
Rahatkar said the NCW has taken cognisance of the matter and written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), requesting the body to ensure necessary and prompt action.
It has also been recommended that the case be pursued under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and be closely monitored from the filing of the chargesheet to proceedings in a fast-track special court to ensure time-bound justice, she added.
Ensuring justice for the victim and stringent punishment for the accused is a collective responsibility, the NCW chairperson underlined.
In a post on X, the NCW said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the extremely "heinous" incident.
"This heinous crime causes profound pain and outrage, and it highlights serious concerns regarding the safety of young girls," it said.
Strongly condemning this grave "inhuman act", the NCW said such crimes constitute a serious violation of children's rights and raise questions about society's security system.
