Karnataka High Court transfers Malur judge after road rage controversy

The Karnataka High Court has transferred Malur Principal Civil Judge and JMFC Gayatri for her involvement in a road rage incident which was caught on CCTV.

A notification issued by the Karnataka High Court Registrar General M Chandrashekar Reddy on August 5 (Wednesday) said that judge Gayatri has been transferred from Malur in Kolar district to Humnabad in Bidar district.

As per the the notice, the transfer has been effected for administrative reasons and in the interest of public service.

The transfer follows a July 28 order of the Karnataka High Court which directed action against the civil judge for the road rage incident.

After examining CCTV footage and other material, Justice M Nagaprasanna of High Court found that the judge had engaged in an altercation with two persons riding a motorcycle after they allegedly overtook her private vehicle. She had subsequently used the police machinery to initiate criminal proceedings against the two-wheeler riders.

Referring to the CCTV footage and the videos circulating on social media, the High Court had held that the conduct of the judicial officer was wholly inconsistent with the standards expected of a judge.

"The video now circulated on social media clearly indicates that the judicial officer behaved in a manner totally unbecoming of the office she holds," the High Court stated in its July 28 order.

Hence, it stayed further investigation against the two wheeler riders in the criminal case registered against them at the behest of the judicial officer.

Justice M Nagaprasanna also directed the registry to place the conduct of the judicial officer before the Chief Justice for appropriate action.

Pursuant to that order, administrative action has now been taken against the judge by transferring her.