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HC pulls up judicial officer over alleged road rage, says conduct 'wholly unbecoming'
HC pulls up judicial officer over alleged road rage, says conduct 'wholly unbecoming'
Bengaluru, The Karnataka High Court has pulled up a judicial officer over her conduct in an alleged road rage incident, observing that CCTV footage prima facie showed behaviour "wholly unbecoming" of a member of the judiciary.
It also raised concerns over the alleged misuse of official position to initiate criminal proceedings against citizens.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, while hearing a petition filed by the accused on Wednesday, viewed CCTV footage of the incident, which allegedly showed the principal civil judge and JMFC, Gayathri of Malur, and her husband engaging in a verbal altercation with two-wheeler riders after they overtook the couple's private car.
According to the court, the complainant, a judicial officer, was travelling in her private car along with her husband. The overtaking was done by Accused Nos.1 and 2, who were riding a two-wheeler.
"It transpires that the ego of the judicial officer or her husband is hurt. They chase the vehicle, i.e., the two-wheeler, from their car, and stop them and get down to a squabble. The squabble is captured on the CCTV. This court has viewed the footage of the CCTV, which involves the judicial officer with her husband indulging in quarrel," Justice Nagaprasanna said.
The State Public Prosecutor submitted that only the two accused persons were travelling on the two-wheeler. However, at the instance of the judicial officer, a 70-year-old man, the third accused, was also taken into custody.
"It is surprising as to how, in the offences so laid against these petitioners, they were taken into custody merely because the complainant was a judicial officer. It would not mean that the citizens are treated in the manner at the dictate of the said judicial officer," the order said.
The court stated that a perusal of the video, or the video that is now circulated on social media, would clearly indicate that the judicial officer has behaved in a manner totally "unbecoming" of the office that she holds.
Justice Nagaprasanna observed that the office of a judge or judicial officer is not one that can be donned within the precincts of the courtroom and discarded at its threshold. Judicial office, it said, is a continuing public trust, and a judicial officer's conduct outside the courtroom can either erode or sustain public confidence in the institution.
He noted that every act, thus, of a judicial officer in the discharge of judicial duties is not confined to the four walls of the court hall, but travels beyond when the interaction happens with the public.
"If the video is noticed, it prima facie clearly indicates that it is wholly unbecoming of a judicial officer to get down from the car and indulge in a quarrel with a common man who only did the crime of overtaking the car of a judicial officer," it said.
"...nothing can become a classic example, classic illustration of abuse of the office of the judicial officer," it noted.
The court passed an interim order staying further proceedings and investigation against the petitioners and directed the Registry to place the order before the Chief Justice for further action against the judicial officer.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
