Woman SI lodges complaint against Judicial Magistrate

The police officer says she was evicted from court hall on JM’s order

A woman Sub-Inspector of Police, attached to the Commercial Crime Investigation Wing (CCW) CID, has lodged a complaint against the Judicial Magistrate I, alleging that the judicial officer had evicted her from the court and prevented her from discharging her duties.

In her four-page handwritten complaint addressed to the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) and presented to the Principal District Judge (PDJ) here on Wednesday, the SI, N. Jenifa Rani, said the woman Judicial Magistrate had evicted her from the court with the help of court staff when she went to the court on Tuesday to assist the prosecution in cases booked by her wing.

She demanded action against the Magistrate for humiliating her, preventing her from discharging her duties, causing her stress and forcing her to seek medical treatment. The PDJ refused to meet reporters when they visited his chamber to seek details of the development. His personal assistant quoted the judge as having said that this was a judicial matter and could not be shared with the media.

Ms. Rani said the Judicial Magistrate summoned her to her chamber on Monday and questioned about the absence of the Inspector. Then she asked her not to bring any witness to the court for cross examination the next day. The Magistrate was angry that head constable Murugan, who had been on court duty for seven years, was replaced, she alleged.

When she went to the court on Tuesday, the Magistrate shouted at her and asked her to leave the court hall. The Magistrate then asked the court staff to evict her and two constables – Nazrudhin and Karthikeyan – from the court, and the court staff took them out, said Ms. Rani.

She felt humiliated as she was escorted out by the court staff in full view of advocates, policemen in other courts and litigants, she said. Later, she appeared before the CJM in the open court and tried to make a submission, but the CJM asked her to give it in writing. As she was preparing the complaint, she fell unconscious and was admitted to hospital, she said.

On Wednesday, Superintendent of Police V. Varun Kumar visited Ms. Rani at the hospital and enquired about the incident. Police sources said the Judicial Magistrate also had a tiff with a woman Inspector on October 15 and the Inspector’s husband filed a case against the Magistrate at the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.