NEW DELHIA: city magistrate has resigned alleging discrimination ‘against Scheduled Caste judicial officers and corruption in the judicial Service. Her resignation was accepted recently. Magistrate K K Shambharwal had put in her papers on April 27. In her resignation letter to the chief justice of the Delhi High Court, she had said, the high court which has a sacred duty to impart justice is discriminating against its subordinate officers belonging to the scheduled caste community. The discrimination which stated with the inception of the Delhi Judicial Service continues till date.” She said judicial officers were being, denied promotion and their confidential reports were being spoiled in order to spoil their career prospects Scheduled Caste candidates, who had qualified for Delhi Judicial Service were denied appointment by the high court, following which they had filed a petition to claim their right. Though they succeeded in securing their appointments, the harassment, mental torture and financial loss suffered by them could not be mitigated” she said. (Times of India Aug. 13).

High Court blamed: Ms. K. K. ‘Shambharwal was not the only one to find the judicial service hostile to SCs. Similar allegations have been leveled by another magistrate. Former magistrate Z5 Lohat recently sought, and was given, voluntary retirement on the ground that the members of his community in the judicial service were allegedly being “victimized” by the Delhi High Court. Lohat is also the general secretary of the city unit of Scheduled Caste and. Scheduled Tribes Judicial Officers’ ‘Association. He sought retirement in April and was relieved recently.

Log at said ‘My confidential report was spoiled by the High Court at a time when I was expecting my promotion, There has been no complaint against me in my 20 year old 14)

Casteism in court “For a Scheduled Caste judicial officer, the high court has been converted into slaughterhouse”, says the resignation letter of former city magistrate ZS Lohat. He said SC judicial officers in Delhi are being stripped like Draupadi in the Mahabharat.

Ms, Shambharwal said she was once transferred because she had refused to “oblige” a high court judge. “The judge had allegedly approached her through his officer to decide a case against its merits. “ (Times of India| Aug. 18) [D.V. October 115, 1995].

Article extracted from this publication >>  October 27, 1995