A female judicial officer in Kottayam has proceeded on leave, allegedly protesting against what she terms as ‘continuous harassment’ by her superior Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Kottayam.
The officer, Tiara Rose Mary, serves as the Judicial Magistrate of the First Class-II court in Kottayam. She has now lodged a complaint with the committee responsible for addressing grievances of judicial officers, accusing CJM Viveeja Sethumohan of subjecting her to harassment at both personal and professional levels.
Elaborating on the sequence of events that strained the relationship between the two officers since August 2023, she has sought the committee’s intervention to address her grievances. The charges levelled against the CJM include public blaming, biased allocation of additional charges, and unfair treatment during pregnancy.
The 15-page letter also states that the undue pressure, biased actions in staff allocation, and unreasonable demands by the CJM have caused considerable emotional stress, raising concerns about the health and safety of her fetus.
Official sources indicate that the magistrate has decided to abstain from work until her grievances are addressed and has been on leave since March 1. “She is expected to be on leave until May 10,” they stated.
High Court sources, who confirmed the receipt of the complaint said the judge-in-charge of the district would soon take up the matter and an explanation would be sought from the CJM concerned.
The committee responsible for addressing grievances of judicial officers has the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court as its chairperson and comprises two other judges of the High Court, the Advocate General, and others.
