BENGALURU — The Karnataka High Court has ordered an administrative inquiry against a sitting judicial officer and stayed criminal proceedings against two motorcyclists and an elderly citizen following a high-profile road rage dispute.
Presiding over the matter, Justice M. Nagaprasanna sharply criticized the conduct of Principal Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Gayatri, characterizing her actions as a "classic illustration of abuse of office."
Background of the Dispute
The legal proceedings stem from an incident in Malur involving Judge Gayatri and her husband, who were traveling in a private vehicle. According to court submissions, two individuals on a motorcycle overtook the judge's vehicle and signaled for the driver to slow down.
Perceived as a slight, the judge and her husband chased down the two-wheeler, intercepted the riders, and engaged in a heated verbal altercation on the street.
Following the incident, local law enforcement registered a criminal complaint against the two riders at the judge's instance. Surprisingly, police also detained a 70-year-old man who was not involved in the initial encounter. The accused subsequently approached the High Court seeking relief and the quashing of criminal investigations against them.
High Court Observations and Evidentiary Review
Upon reviewing social media videos and CCTV footage of the altercation, the High Court observed that the visual evidence directly contradicted the claims made in the initial police complaint. The bench noted that the judge voluntarily exited her vehicle to confront the citizens.
"If the video is noticed, it prima facie clearly indicates that it is wholly unbecoming of a judicial officer to get down from the car and indulge in a quarrel with a common man... If this enraged or hurt the ego of the judicial officer, nothing can become a more classic illustration of abuse of the office," the Court stated.
Justice Nagaprasanna further reprimanded the police department for acting arbitrarily at the behest of a judicial authority without conducting an objective preliminary inquiry:
"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."
Judicial Integrity Beyond the Courtroom
Emphasizing the standard of conduct expected from members of the judiciary, the High Court underlined that public trust depends heavily on a judge's demeanor both inside and outside the courtroom.
The bench observed that judicial authority is not an attire to be discarded at the courtroom threshold, as every public interaction by an officer of the court shapes the integrity of the judicial system.
Order and Directives
In light of the findings, the High Court issued the following directions:
- Interim Relief: Granted an immediate stay on all further police investigations against the petitioners.
- Administrative Referral: Directed the High Court Registry to submit the complete case record before the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court for appropriate administrative and disciplinary action against the judicial officer.
The Advocates' Association of Bengaluru (AAB) also informed the court that it had separately submitted representations detailing prior complaints regarding the magistrate’s conduct, advocating for systemic accountability.
Discription: The Karnataka High Court stayed criminal proceedings against two motorcyclists and a 70-year-old man who were targeted after a road rage dispute with a local judge. Principal Civil Judge Gayatri chased down two riders after they overtook her private car and asked her driver to slow down. Following a heated street quarrel, the judge used her influence to have police register a criminal case and detain the riders alongside an uninvolved elderly citizen. However, CCTV footage exposed the judge as the aggressor. Slamming her conduct as a "classic abuse of office" and criticizing the police's bias, Justice M. Nagaprasanna halted the investigation and referred the judge to the Chief Justice for disciplinary action.