City sessions court judge suspended over a sexual misconduct charge

MUMBAI: A judge at the city sessions court, accused of sexually harassing a court staffer, has been suspended following a preliminary inquiry into the allegations. Sources said a departmental inquiry would now be initiated in the matter.

The judge, MT Gaikwad, was presiding over a special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act court when the allegations were made against him.

Confirming the suspension that happened on August 14, Registrar General of the Bombay high court, Shalini Phansalkarjoshi, said, “It was a complaint of sexual harassment at the workplace lodged by a court staffer. We conducted a preliminary inquiry and after finding substance in the complaint, suspended the judge pending a final inquiry.”

The statements of the complainant and other court staff members were recorded during the preliminary inquiry conducted by sessions judge SD Tulankar. Sources at the sessions court said, during the preliminary inquiry, other women court staffers, too, were found to have had similar experiences. Therefore, after considering the statements and the evidence, the decision was taken to suspend the judge, sources said.

About the further course of action, they said a senior judge would be appointed from the district or civil judiciary by the high court to head the departmental inquiry. MUMBAI: Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan was presented a Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) for safety of women, which has been put together by HT and Akshara, an NGO working on gender issues, after a series of round table discussions around four broad themes earlier this year. The plan has 51 recommendations and ideas to make Mumbai safer for women.

Chavan directed the recommendations be studied by at least four departments — law and judiciary, urban development, education, women and child welfare — and they revert to him in the next few days with the action they propose to take.

“A copy of the CAP should be sent to the chief secretary, and each department involved should revert on which of the recommendations they can initiate action. Some of the points here should be in the Congress manifesto committee and its chairman Sushil Kumar Shinde should be given a copy,” Chavan instructed his office, after accepting the document.