Police in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram registered an FIR against two unidentified persons for allegedly issuing death threats and making communal remarks against ADJ Tabassum Khan. The threats followed her judgment sentencing 14 men to life imprisonment in a mob lynching case linked to alleged cattle smuggling.
The Chhattisgarh High Court ruled that a judicial officer cannot be denied promotion benefits merely because her promotion was deferred over a complaint. Since no disciplinary proceedings or adverse findings followed, the deferment could not continue affecting her service rights.
Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu, a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, passed away at Medanta Hospital, Gurugram at 59. Born in Haryana, he was a first-generation lawyer who rose from a farming family background through dedicated legal practice and service.
The Supreme Court declined to entertain a petition by Himachal Pradesh judicial officer Arvind Malhotra seeking consideration of his name for High Court judge appointment. Malhotra alleged that junior officers were recommended by the Collegium while his candidature was not considered for elevation.
The Supreme Court intervened after learning that four successive Benches of the Punjab and Haryana High Court recused from hearing a former judicial officer’s challenge against dismissal from service. CJI Surya Kant sought details but declined to transfer the case.
Arvind Malhotra, Principal Judge of the Family Court in Dharamshala, has approached the Supreme Court challenging the recommendation of three judicial officers for elevation to the Himachal Pradesh High Court, alleging that officers junior to him were preferred despite his seniority.
The Supreme Court witnessed a sharp exchange after the Enforcement Directorate sought an adjournment in the case involving Congress leader Chaitanya Baghel. Responding to the request, CJI Surya Kant remarked, “First, it’s ‘list it, list it’; then comes the adjournment,” noting that judges read case files overnight during partial working days.
Odisha Police arrested the husband of a judicial officer following allegations of dowry harassment, domestic violence, and prolonged mental and physical abuse. The arrest was made after the woman officer filed a complaint, with police stating the couple had been facing serious domestic disputes for the past ten months.
The Delhi High Court refused to initiate suo motu proceedings over alleged online trolling of a Saket Court judge after interim protection was granted to Abhijit Iyer-Mitra in a case involving remarks against Newslaundry and its journalists.
The Supreme Court expressed concern over threats and attacks targeting retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Gautam Patel and his family, warning that such incidents threaten judicial independence and the administration of justice. The Court observed that fear and intimidation could discourage judges from delivering impartial judgments.
