High Court Suspends District Judge; Know Why

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Dehradun: A judge had had to pay a heavy price for travelling to a camp court in someone else’s Audi car with the official board of ‘District Judge’ fixed on the car.

He has been suspended by the Uttarakhand High Court.

The office memorandum suspending district judge Prashant Joshi stated that his conduct is unbecoming of a judicial officer.

The act and conduct affect integrity, constitutes serious misconduct and is contrary to Rule 3(1), 3(2) and Rule 30 of the Uttarakhand Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 2002, the memorandum pointed out.

Instead of travelling in his official vehicle, Joshi used a private car owned by one Kewal Krishan Soin, which was fitted with an official name board of the judge.

To make matters worse, the memorandum noted that Soin has a case of forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy pending against him and a writ petition to quash the same is also pending before the High Court of Uttarakhand.

Suspending the judge, the high court directed that, along with dearness allowance, he be paid only half of his salary as a subsistence allowance.

Joshi has also been advised to remain attached to Rudraprayag, headquarters of the District Judgeship, and should not leave the station without the court’s permission.