SC to consider reinstating former woman judicial officer of Madhya Pradesh

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will consider reappointing a former woman judicial officer who is seeking reinstatement after having resigned following an inquiry into her allegations of sexual harassment against a Madhya Pradesh High Court judge.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde asked senior lawyer Ravindra Shrivastava, appearing for the Registrar General of the MP High Court, to seek instruction with regard to the possibility of reinstating the former woman judicial officer, who has retired, within four weeks.

Meanwhile, Shrivastava opposed her plea and submitted that the Registrar General be heard before passing any order.

The woman had moved the apex court seeking that the administrative order of January 11, 2017, passed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissing her application for reinstatement into the Madhya Pradesh Higher Judicial Services, should be set aside.

In an attempt to put a closure and a "peaceful conclusion" of her grievance, the bench on Wednesday posed a query to her lawyer Indira Jaising and said, "Tell me one thing, whether your client was agreeable for appointment under jurisdiction of some other high courts. We will reinstate her".

Jaising replied that her client may be considered for reinstatement as an additional district judge in northern part of India without losing the seniority. She added that the former judge was wiling to forgo the salary and other benefits
"We give you an option within MP. Is there any particular place in Madhya Pradesh where she would like to go," the bench asked, adding that "we will reinstate her in Madhya Pradesh first then only she can be transferred to (the jurisdiction of other HC)."