High Court Upholds Dismissal of Judge Accused of Demanding Dowry and Attempting to Influence Junior Judge

The High Court of Allahabad has upheld the dismissal of Umesh Kumar Sirohi, a judicial officer accused of demanding dowry and attempting to influence a junior judge. The court emphasized that judicial officers must maintain the highest standards of integrity and that those who defile their office deserve no leniency.

Court’s Ruling

A bench comprising Justices Saumitra Dayal Singh and Donadi Ramesh stated, “If there exists a temple of justice, the judicial officers must act like its high priests.” The bench stressed that any transgression by a judicial officer to extract personal benefits would be dealt with severely.

In dismissing the writ petition filed by Sirohi, who was removed from his position as an additional district and sessions judge in Lalitpur, the court affirmed the penalty order issued by the state government on April 16, 2021.

The court highlighted that once a “bad fish” is identified, it must not be retained in the “tank.” It emphasized that no margin of error should be allowed for any judicial officer to influence another in the exercise of judicial functions.

Background of the Case

Sirohi faced two charge sheets issued by the administrative side of the High Court in 2016 and 2017. The first charge sheet accused him of demanding dowry for his brother’s marriage and injuring himself to implicate his brother’s wife and her family. His wife had lodged a police complaint against her sister-in-law and her family, leading to their prosecution.

Sirohi and his brother were also accused of misusing their official positions to influence the investigating officer in the matter. The second charge sheet alleged that Sirohi tried to influence an additional chief judicial magistrate in the proceedings of the case registered by his wife. He was further accused of making false allegations of bias against the district judge of Meerut.

In 2020, the High Court accepted the inquiry reports against Sirohi and recommended his dismissal from service. This recommendation was accepted by the state, leading to his removal from service.

Court’s Conclusion

After examining the records and hearing arguments, the court concluded that the charges against Sirohi constituted serious misconduct. The court noted that the allegations of influencing the investigating officer and demanding dowry were substantiated.

In its ruling, the court reiterated the importance of maintaining the purity of the judiciary and ensuring that judicial officers uphold the highest ethical standards.