Judge who made ‘sexually provocative dresses’ remark transferred

Kozhikode District and Sessions Judge S Krishna Kumar’s observations while granting anticipatory bail to writer and social activist Civic Chandran in two alleged sexual harassment cases had sparked outrage in Kerala

Kozhikode: Kozhikode District and Sessions Judge S Krishna Kumar, who recently made a controversial observation that the sexual harassment offence would not stand when the woman was wearing ‘sexually provocative’ dresses, has been transferred as presiding officer at Kollam labour court.

Kerala High Court Registrar-General P Krishna Kumar on Tuesday issued the transfer list, which included the transfer of three other district-level judicial officers.

The judge’s observations while granting anticipatory bail to writer and social activist Civic Chandran in two alleged sexual harassment cases had sparked outrage in Kerala, prompting the state government to appeal the high court against the district court’s verdict.

While granting Chandran bail in the first case, the judge had observed that offences under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act would not prima facie stand against the accused as it “is highly unbelievable that he will touch the body of the victim fully knowing that she is member of the Scheduled Caste”.