Woman SI case: court registry told to refer to CJ for posting

The Madras High Court bench today directed the court registry to refer to the Chief Justice for posting before an appropriate bench a case filed by a woman Sub Inspector against a Judicial Magistrate, charging him with using filthy language against her in July 2014 for not arresting an accused despite his orders to do so.
Justice C.Vaidhyanathan gave a direction to this effect when hearing a petition filed by the SI of the all-woman police station at Tirunelveli, S Sathyabama.
The SI alleged the JM had called her to his chamber on July 8 this year and used foul language for not arresting a man despite his orders. Again on July 14, he had scolded her using 'abusive words' in the open court in the presence of her colleague.

Unable to bear it, she had given a complaint to the Chief Judicial Magistrate on July 19, the SI said.
The JM issued her an official memorandum two days later for not remanding the accused, rejecting her plea that the case was under investigation.
She said she had given a complaint to the Superintendent of Police, Tirunelveli district, and Deputy Superintendent of Police, Nanguneri, but no action had been taken.

Hence she prayed that the court intervene and direct police to register a case against the JM for 'intimidating' her under IPC sec.294(b),354,506(1),509 etc.
Meanwhile, the DSP in an affidavit denied that the SI had given a complaint to him or the SP. He said he had enquired about the incident with the District Judge and the CJM and two staff of the Judicial magistrate court.

He said there was no proof for the first incident. However, he concluded that the second incident in the open court on July 14 was true.
The SI's charge was defamatory and unwarranted, he said.
Meanwhile, Secretary of Nunguneri Bar Association C Sugumar also denied the charge against the JM.
He said the fact was the JM had directed the SI two and half months back to take action against an inebirated person disturbing court proceedings, but she had not done so. He had then passed strictures against the SI in his capacity as JM.
The SI then preferred a complaint with the Principal District Judge and filed a case in the High Court, he said.

Sugumar said the Judicial Magistrate had not scolded her in open court as alleged and said the SI had made the complaint with a 'sinister design' to undermine the independence and authority of the judiciary.
In the event of registering the complaint against the JM, the judicial system would be weakened, he said.