From,
Arpita Sahu,
Civil Judge (J.D.),
Baberu, Banda, Uttar Pradesh.
To,
The Hon’ble Chief Justice of India,
Supreme Court, New Delhi.
Sub: Open Letter to the CJI to Request Permission of END MY LIFE and a
Message to all the Working Women in India.
Hon’ble Lordship,
I write this in extreme Pain and Despair. This letter has no purpose other
than to tell my story and a prayer that my eldermost guardian (CJI) permits me to
end my life.
I joined the Judicial Service with much enthusiasm and the belief that I
would dispense Justice to the common folk. What did I know that I’ll be soon
rendered a beggar for Justice on every door that I go.
In the short time of my service I have had the rare Honour of being abused
(the dreaded hindi mother curse word) on Dias in open court. I have been sexually
harassed to the very limit. I have been treated like utter garbage. I feel like an
unwanted insect. And I hoped to provide justice to others. What Naive me!
I wish to tell all the working women in India: Learn to live with sexual
harassment. It’s a truth of our lives. The POSH ACT is a big wholesome lie
told to us. No one listens, no one bothers. If u complaint, you will be
tortured. Be submissive. And when I mean no one listens, that includes the
Supreme Court. You will get 8 Seconds of hearing, an insult and a threat to
impose costs. You will be pushed to commit suicide. And if you are lucky
(unlike me) your first attempt at suicide will be successful.
If any of the women think that you’ll fight against the system, let me
tell you, I couldn’t. And I am JUDGE. I could not even a muster a fair
enquiry for myself, Let alone JUSTICE. I advise all women to learn to be a
toy, or a non-living thing.
I have been sexually harassed by one particular District Judge and his
associates. I was told to meet the District Judge at Night.
I complained to the Hon’ble Chief Justice, Allahabad and the Administrative
Judge (High Court Judge) in 2022. No action has been taken till date. No one even
bothered to ask me: WHAT HAPPENENED, WHY ARE YOU DISTRESSED?
I Complained to the to the Internal Complaints Committee of the High Court
in July 2023. It took 6 months and a thousand emails just to start an enquiry.
The proposed enquiry is also a Farce and a Sham. 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.
It’s very basic that for a fair enquiry the witness ought not to be in the
Administrative Control of the Respondent (Accused). All I requested was that the
District Judge be Transferred during the pendency of the Enquiry. The bare
minimum prayer was not heeded to. It’s not that I had prayed for the transfer of
the District Judge on a whim. The Hon’ble High Court has already given a finding on
the judicial side that evidence is being tampered with.
I did not expect that my complaints and statement be taken as the
Cardinal truth. All I wished for was a Fair Enquiry.
I thought that, may be such a benign and a fundamental prayer will be heard
by the Supreme Court. I thought that the highest court will definitely hear such a
straight forward benign prayer. What did I Know? My writ petition was dismissed
in 8 seconds without any hearing and consideration of my prayers. Just one
sentence and DISMISSED. I felt like my life, my dignity and my soul have been
DISMISSED. It felt like a personal humiliation.
The enquiry will now be conducted with the District Judge being in control
of all the witnesses. We all know the fate of such an enquiry.
What Justice will I give to others when I am myself hopeless? 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.
Kindly permit me to end my life in a dignified way. Let my life be:
DISMISSED.
I hold no one responsible for any of my future fate.
Thanks.
Arpita Sahu,
Civil Judge (J.D.),
Baberu, Banda, Uttar Pradesh.
15.12.23
