Rape survivor alleges sexual assault by district judge in Tripura

A 23-year-old rape survivor in Tripura has alleged that a judge in the district and sessions court in Dhalai sexually assaulted her when she had gone to his chamber to record her statement as per Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Her husband lodged her complaint in this regard with the Kamalpur Bar Association, following which a three-member panel led by Dhalai district and sessions judge Gautam Sarkar and comprising chief judicial magistrate Satyajit Das was constituted to probe the incident. The panel members visited the judge’s office soon after the complaint was filed.

In her written affidavit and complaint, the woman said she was summoned by the judicial magistrate in his chamber to record her statement in her rape case.

“I was asked to go into his chamber alone and the woman police personnel was asked to stay outside. The judge closed the door, and I was narrating the incident when he asked me to stand up, groped me and sexually assaulted me,” she said in the complaint. HT has seen a copy of the complaint.

She also accused the magistrate of subjecting her to digital rape and said she narrated her ordeal to her husband later, who brought it to the attention of lawyers at the Kamalpur Bar Association.

When contacted, a senior police official, on the condition of anonymity, said that the woman was allegedly raped by a man, aged about 26 years, on February 13 at her residence.

“A case was lodged at Kachhucherra police station on February 15. She went to the judicial magistrate’s office the next day to record her statement,” said the police official.

Advocate Shibendra Dasgupta from the Kamalpur Bar Association said, “A complaint was filed addressing the Kamalpur Bar Association secretary. Our Bar Association president received the complaint. The complaint has been forwarded to the additional district judge.”