The letter of a woman civil judge from Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district, in which she expressed her desire to be euthanized due to continuous sexual harassment, has shocked the entire nation. Chief Justice Chandrachud of the Supreme Court of India has taken cognizance of the matter and ordered the Allahabad High Court administration to file the latest status report related to this case.
The woman judge had written to the Chief Justice detailing the sexual harassment she was facing at the hands of the Banda District Magistrate and other judicial officers. She alleged that the District Magistrate had subjected her to repeated sexual harassment and that her complaints to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and the Internal Complaints Committee went unaddressed.
In her letter, the judge expressed the toll that the harassment had taken on her mental and physical health, stating, “I have no desire to live any longer. I have been reduced to a walking corpse in the last one and a half years. There is no use in carrying this soulless body. I don’t see any purpose left in life. Please allow me to end my life in a dignified way.”
The case has brought to light the issue of sexual harassment within the judiciary and the failure of the system to provide redressal to the victim. Chief Justice Chandrachud’s decision to order a status report reflects the seriousness with which the matter is being taken at the highest levels of the judiciary.
This case has once again sparked conversations about the need for a safe and respectful work environment for women in the legal profession. It has also highlighted the need for a more effective mechanism to address complaints of sexual harassment and to ensure the well-being of those who come forward with their grievances.
The nation waits with bated breath for the latest updates on this case and hopes for a fair and just resolution for the woman judge who has bravely spoken out about her ordeal.