Northeast Desk, 18th February: A rape survivor has come forward with disturbing allegations of sexual abuse by a magistrate inside his chamber at a court in Tripura. The incident, which reportedly occurred on February 16, has prompted a probe by a three-member panel led by Dhalai District and Sessions Judge Gautam Sarkar, according to a senior advocate.
The survivor recounted the harrowing experience, stating that she visited the chamber of first class judicial magistrate in Kamalpur to have her statement recorded regarding her rape. However, she alleges that instead of facilitating the legal process, the magistrate groped her. In her complaint to the additional district and sessions judge in Kamalpur, she detailed the traumatic encounter and sought justice.
In response to the survivor’s complaint, District and Sessions Judge Gautam Sarkar, accompanied by Chief Judicial Magistrate Satyajit Das, visited Kamalpur’s additional district and sessions judge’s office to conduct an investigation into the matter.
Shibendra Dasgupta, secretary of the Kamalpur Bar Association, confirmed that the panel also engaged with members of the advocate body to gather their perspective on the allegations. He emphasized that they provided their insights to the panel during the inquiry.
Addressing the serious accusations leveled against the judge, Registrar General of Tripura High Court, V Pandey, stated that no official complaint had been received yet. He indicated that the court became aware of the issue through media and social media platforms. Pandey assured that once a formal complaint is lodged, appropriate action will be taken.
Read More: GMC Cracks Down on Property Tax Defaulters and Trade License Violators