Expressing displeasure over the failure of the Director, Animal Husbandry, Jammu, to file a reply in a complaint of sexual harassment at workplace, a Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) comprising Member (J) Rajinder Singh Dogra and Member (A) Ram Mohan Johri has stopped the officer’s salary.

The Bench ordered that the salary of Shubhra Sharma (JKAS) be stopped with immediate effect till further orders. Shubhra Sharma is the then Director, Animal Husbandry, Jammu, and presently, Managing Director, JKRLM (Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission-UMEED) in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

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These significant directions have been passed by the CAT in response to an application filed by Anu Bala, Assistant Director, Fisheries Department, presently posted in Udhampur, challenging the report of the Committee Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace (CASH), chaired by Shubhra Sharma (JKAS), on the ground that the committee did not follow the procedure and the Guidelines/SOPs framed by the Government of India on the basis of Vishakha Guidelines, and the law laid down by the Supreme Court was not implemented in its letter and spirit and the entire inquiry was conducted in a legally unsound manner.

The Bench of CAT, while taking serious note of the casual approach of the Chairperson of the CASH Committee of the Animal Husbandry Department, observed that a perusal of records revealed that the respondents were granted last and final opportunity to file their reply vide orders dated 18-10-2024, 20-11-2024, 18-12-2024, and 10-02-2025. The orders also stated that coercive action would be taken if the reply was not filed. However, despite availing sufficient time, the respondents have not filed their reply till date. The Bench further observed that despite the issuance of conditional orders, the respondents neither filed the reply nor appeared before the Court to explain the delay.

The CAT Bench was infuriated over the callous attitude and conduct of the senior JKAS officer and her non-serious approach towards the court orders as the Tribunal while expressing its deep concern observed, “Non filing of the reply by the respondents leads to unnecessary delay in giving justice to the litigants and justice delayed is justice denied. The poor litigants who have no access to the administration, knock the door of this court in the hope that they will get justice here. The aggrieved litigant is running from pillar to post to get justice. It is very unfortunate that due to the callous attitude of officers/officials, public faith in the judiciary is getting eroded. However, innocent litigants cannot be made to suffer for the lackadaisical approach of the respondents.”

The Tribunal further observed, “Nobody is above the law, so in order to uphold the majesty of law, this court was compelled to pass such an adverse order.”

With these serious observations and directions, the Bench ordered the immediate stoppage of Shubhra Sharma’s salary until further orders and directed her DDO to ensure compliance.