Judge suspended over ‘harassment’

LAHORE High Court chief justice has suspended a senior civil judge over the complaint of a woman litigant who he allegedly harassed on cell phone, an official said.

Faisalabad Senior Civil Judge Rafaqat Ali Gondal had been made officer on special duty (OSD) in the Lahore High Court over the complaint of Chanda Bibi whose case was pending before his court. She had requested the Member Inspection Team (MIT) of the LHC to take notice of the civil judge’s conduct and take action against him.

Quoting the complaint of the woman, the official, privy to the development, said the judge had kept on calling the woman on her cell phone despite her repeated warnings. She alleged that the judge wanted to have ‘relations’ with her.

The MIT started probe and the judge admitted in his reply that he had made calls to the woman twice or thrice on her cell phone in response to a missed call from her number, the official said, adding that the judge’s case would be forwarded to administrative committee (AC) of the LHC for further necessary action.

Posted in: Lahore