This post was posted by IAS Officer Riju Bafna after attending her courting hearing of the criminal case filed by her against Santosh Chaubey (Aayogmitra of MP Human Rights Commission), who was sending her indecent messages.
“While I was giving my statement, an advocate named Lalit Sharma was standing next, overhearing my statement, along with others in the court. I asked the judicial magistrate to ask others to leave as I was uncomfortable giving my statement in front of so many people. On saying this, Lalit Sharma started shouting at me, saying “how dare you suggest me to leave, I am an advocate here and you might be an officer in your office but not in the Court”. I told him that the privacy I am demanding is not as an IAS officer but as a woman and laws provide me with that.”
When she spoke up to the Judicial Magistrate about discretion when hearing a woman’s statement, “…he said that you are young and that’s why demanding such things.”
If this is the plight a women IAS officer has to under go, then just imagine the plight of common women who wants to fight against the harassment and male chauvinism.
