Supreme Court Rectifies 'Intellectual Dishonesty' Allegations Against Judge

The Supreme Court overturned the Madhya Pradesh High Court's critical judgment against a special trial court judge accused of 'intellectual dishonesty' for convicting an accused under the POCSO Act. The high court's criticism, deemed unwarranted and hasty, was expunged to uphold judicial fairness.

The Supreme Court has annulled the Madhya Pradesh High Court's critical observations against a special court judge accused of 'intellectual dishonesty' in a POCSO Act case. The top court described the high court's comments as 'totally unwarranted' and based on a 'hasty conclusion'.

At the heart of the controversy was a case where the special court convicted an accused, a decision later overturned by the high court, which alleged lapses by the judge and the prosecutor. The high court argued the original conviction disregarded the victim's status as a consenting adult, leading to the accused's unjust imprisonment.

The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, asserted that the high court's observations were out of context and in contradiction with section 94 of the Juvenile Justice Act. Consequently, the harsh remarks against the judge and prosecutor were removed, correcting the course of justice.

(With inputs from agencies.)