Uttarakhand High Court Suspends District Judge Who Used Audi Car Of Accused For Official Travel

Importantly, against the owner (Kewal Krishan Soin) of the Audi car, an FIR under Section 420, 467, 468, 471 & 120-B IPC is registered at Police Station Rajpur, District Dehradun and his Writ Petition (Criminal), praying for quashment of the FIR is pending before the High Court.

The Office Memorandum issued by the High Court on Tuesday (22^nd December) describes the act of District Judge as amounting to grave misconduct.

The Office Memorandum reads,

"That aforesaid act and conduct of Sri Prashant Joshi touches upon his integrity, amounts to grave misconduct and is in violation of Rule 3(1), 3(2), and Rule 30 of the Uttarakhand Government Servants' Conduct Rules, 2002. Said conduct is unbecoming of a Judicial Officer."

The Memorandum states that to attend the camp court at Mussoorie, he was supposed to use his official vehicle allotted to him bearing, however, he travelled from Dehradun to Mussoorie from a private vehicle Audi Q7 4.2 TDI.

On the said Audi car, the official board of District Judge, Dehradun was fixed and the Car was placed outside the High Court Guest House, Mussoorie, where the camp court is usually held.

The Memorandum states that this (fixing the official board on the Car) might have been done "to protect the owner and the occupants of the car from nefarious activities."

Further, the Memorandum says that during the period of his suspension, he would get half of his salary payable on the date of suspension as subsistence allowances along with dearness allowance, in accordance with provisions of subsidiary rule 53 of F.H.B. and Government Orders issued in this behalf from time to time.

Also, other compensatory allowances shall be admissible subject to the condition that expense is being actually incurred by him, for which, such compensatory allowances are admissible.

Importantly, during the period of suspension and until further orders, Judge Prashant Joshi would remain attached with the District Judgeship's headquarter Rudraprayag and he has been directed to not leave the station without obtaining the prior permission of the Hon'ble Court.

In related news, accepting the full bench resolution of the Uttarakhand High Court and on the recommendation of the State Government, the Uttarakhand government had recently dismissed a Civil Judge from service for allegedly torturing a minor girl (13-year-old) who worked as a domestic help at her residence in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.

The government had issued a notification dated Wednesday (21^st October) notifying that the Government has removed Deepali Sharma, Civil Judge (Senior Division) (Under Suspension) from Service.

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