The Karnataka High Court has ordered administrative action against a civil judge after a road rage incident involving two motorcyclists, calling her conduct a “classic example” of abuse of judicial office.
Justice M Nagaprasanna stayed criminal proceedings against the victims—two men on a two-wheeler—after reviewing CCTV footage that contradicted the judge’s complaint. The court also criticized police for acting on the judge’s demands, including the detention of a 70-year-old man not involved in the incident.
Judge’s conduct “wholly unbecoming,” court says
The dispute began when the motorcyclists overtook the judge’s private Innova car. According to the court, the judge and her husband chased the riders, stopped them, and indulged in a quarrel. The judge later filed a police complaint alleging various offences.
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But the CCTV footage, later circulated on social media, showed a different sequence. The court noted that the judge “got down from the car and indulged in a quarrel with a common man, whose only alleged crime was overtaking the car.” Justice Nagaprasanna called the behavior “totally unbecoming of the office she holds.”
The bench questioned why police had registered a case at the judge’s behest, calling it an overreach. “Merely because the complainant is a judicial officer does not mean that citizens can be treated in the manner dictated by the said judicial officer,” the court said.
Public trust at stake, court warns
The High Court emphasized that judicial dignity extends beyond the courtroom. “The office of a judicial officer is not one that can be worn within the precincts of the courtroom and discarded at its threshold,” the order stated. “It is equally the conduct outside the courtroom that either sustains or erodes public confidence in the institution.”
Senior Advocate DR Ravishankar, representing the Advocates’ Association of Bengaluru, told the court that this was not an isolated incident. The association had already filed a representation seeking disciplinary action against the judge, citing other complaints from lawyers about her behavior.
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The court directed the registry to place its order before the Chief Justice for “appropriate administrative action” against the judge. It also stayed further investigation into the case against the motorcyclists.
The judge, identified as Gayatri, serves as a principal civil judge and judicial magistrate in Malur. The court’s order did not specify what disciplinary measures might follow, but it made clear that the judiciary would not tolerate such behavior.
In its closing remarks, the bench reiterated that judges must uphold higher standards. “The office of a judicial officer carries continuing public trust. It is not merely what happens inside the courtroom; it is equally the conduct outside the courtroom that either sustains or erodes public confidence in the institution,” the order said.
