Judge, Judge Thyself

A judge has an unusual ruling on a case of bigamy in India. What do you think?

In the midst of the anger fuelled by the two judges involved in (alleged?) sexual crimes against women- Tarun Tejpal, who judged people through his sting operations, and AK Ganguly, who judged people because, well, he was a judge, many of us did not notice another judge from Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh sitting in judgment over a “domestic” dispute. Here goes:

Judge Ganga Charan Dube, presiding over the Khandwa Lok Adalat, was sitting in judgment over the complaint of a wife who alleged that her husband was spending more time with his live-in partner who had been staying at their house for the last two years.

The honourable judge pondered over the complaint, and ordered that the wife and the other woman will stay under the same roof as the husband, and that the husband will have the middle room of the three-room house, while the women will occupy the other rooms, according to a “mutual agreement” the judge arranged between the feuding parties.

According to Ashwini Bhate, the government advocate, Judge Ganga Charan Dube further ruled that the middle room will have access to both the rooms occupied by the two women and that the man will spend a fortnight each with both the women every month.

According to the Press Trust of India, as quoted in The Telegraph of December 2, 2013, the judge thereby “defused” a “live-in row”.

Till Judge Ganga Charan Dube came along, I had thought that the man in question had committed a criminal offence by doing what he did, but then judges know best.

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About the Author

sunilias

I am a former bureaucrat, and have worked a lot on gender issues, disaster management and good governance. I am also the proud father of two lovely daughters. read more...

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