UP judge alleges sexual harassment by senior, writes letter to CJI seeking permission to end life
New Delhi: A judge from Banda, Uttar Pradesh, has written a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), alleging sexual harassment by a senior district judge and his associates. In the two-page letter, the judge, whose identity remains undisclosed, has requested permission to end her life in a dignified manner.
In the letter addressed to the Chief Justice, she wrote, "Kindly permit me to end my life in a dignified way. Let my life be - DISMISSED." The judge expressed anguish, claiming to have faced extreme sexual harassment and being treated with disrespect. She further mentioned feeling like an "unwanted insect" despite hoping to deliver justice to others.
Upon receiving the letter, Supreme Court Secretary General Atul M Kurhekar, acting on CJI Chandrachud's instructions, wrote to the registrar general of the Allahabad High Court. The letter sought a report by the following morning on the status of all the complaints filed by the woman judge.
According to the judge, she filed a complaint with the Internal Complaints Committee of the High Court in July 2023. However, she alleged that the investigation was a "farce and a sham" as the witnesses in the inquiry were immediate subordinates of the accused District Judge.
She questioned the credibility of the committee, highlighting the challenges faced by witnesses when asked to depose against their boss. She also revealed that her petition requesting the transfer of the District Judge during the inquiry was dismissed by the Supreme Court in "just eight seconds."
The judge disclosed that she had attempted suicide but was unsuccessful. She urged working women in India to learn to live with sexual harassment, stating, "If any of the women think that you’ll fight against the system, let me tell you, I couldn’t. And I am a judge. I could not even muster a fair inquiry for myself. Let alone justice. I advise all women to learn to be a toy or a non-living thing."
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Probe into alleged irregularities in NEET-UG handed over to CBI: Education Ministry
New Delhi, Jun 23: The Centre on Saturday night announced that the probe into alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET will be handed over to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation.
The development came amid a flurry of decisions over alleged irregularities in competitive exams, including the removal of National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Subodh Singh and setting up of a seven-member panel headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan for exam reforms.
"Certain cases of alleged irregularities, cheating, impersonation and malpractices have been reported in NEET-UG which was conducted on May 5.
"For transparency on the conduct of the examination process, it was decided after a review that the matter be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for comprehensive investigation," a senior Education Ministry official said.
The government is committed to ensuring the sanctity of examinations and protecting the interest of students, the official said, adding any individual and organisation found to be involved in irregularities will face the strictest action.
The examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres and around 24 lakh candidates appeared. The results were expected to be declared on June 14 but were announced on June 4.
The allegations of irregularities have led to protests in several cities, litigation and sparring between rival political parties.
A fresh plea was filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the CBI and the ED to investigate the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG.
The petition, filed by 10 students who had appeared for the exam, has also sought a direction to Bihar Police to expedite the investigation in the case and file a report before the apex court.
The top court had earlier sought responses from the Centre, the NTA and others on a slew of petitions, including those seeking scrapping of the NEET-UG 2024 exam and a court-monitored probe.
The apex court had also stayed further proceedings on similar pleas pending before different high courts.
As many as 67 students scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in the NTA's history, with six from a centre in Haryana's Faridabad figuring in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities.
There was also controversy over grace marks awarded to students to make up for the loss of time at six centres. The Centre later told the apex court that the grace marks are being scrapped and these students would be given an option of a retest.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) will on Sunday conduct the retest for these 1,563 candidates.
The NEET-UG examination is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.
Ministry of Education entrusts the matter of alleged irregularities in NEET (UG) Examination 2024 to CBI for the comprehensive investigation. pic.twitter.com/KO95a5a8nD
— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) June 22, 2024
