UP Judge seeks permission to 'End Life' in open letter, Chief Justice Chandrachud lists it as matter to hear

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud has sought for a report from the Allahabad High Court to apprise the top court on status of all the complaints filed by the woman judge. The matter has been listed for hearing later in the day after the woman judge sought euthanasia permission from the CJI, citing the sexual harassment by her senior and his associates.

New Delhi: Chief Justice DY Chandrachud has listed for hearing a matter in pursuance of an euthanasia sought by an Uttar Pradesh judge citing the sexual harassment by her senior and his associates, in an open letter, which has gone viral on social media.

The CJI has sought a report from Allahabad High Court in this regard and is likely to hear this matter later in the day.

The woman judge, in her letter, wrote: "Kindly permit me to end my life in a dignified way. Let my life be - DISMISSED." The Judge whose identity is withheld has written to the Chief Justice, alleging sex harassment by a district judge and his associates during her stint in Barabanki.

"I have been sexually harassed to the very limit. I have been treated like utter garbage. I feel like an unwanted insect," she said.

Based on the instructions of Chandrachud, the Supreme Court Secretary General Atul M Kurhekar had written to the registrar general of the Allahabad High Court, calling for a report by this morning detailing the status of all the complaints by the woman judge.

It is learnt the acting Chief Justice of the High Court had also taken note of the open letter. The same was conveyed to the Secretary General.

According to the woman judge, a probe was ordered into her allegations after she lodged a complaint with the Internal Complaints Committee of the High Court in July 2023.

Terming the inquiry as "a farce and a sham," the woman judge reasoned it with the process and the witnesses who have been called to testify.

"The witnesses in the enquiry are immediate Subordinates of the District Judge. How the Committee expects the Witnesses to depose against their Boss is beyond my understanding," she said.

The woman judge's petition seeking the transfer of the judge pending the inquiry into her complaint to ensure fair investigation was dismissed by the Apex Court in a matter of "just eight seconds."

"All I requested was that the District Judge be transferred during the pendency of the inquiry. The bare minimum prayer was not heeded to," she wrote further.

"I have no will to live anymore. I have been rendered to a Walking Corpse in the last year and a half. There is no purpose in carrying this soulless and lifeless body around anymore. There is no purpose left in my life," the stinging letter read.