An Additional District Judge (ADJ) posted at Dwarka courts allegedly attempted to commit suicide on Friday at his residence in Karkardooma Court Complex. The judge was suspended from the court following an FIR registered against him for sexually assaulting a female court staff.

According to police, a 35-year-old stenographer, posted in the court of Additional District Judge PS Malik, had complained to police on July 20. In her complaint, she said the judge had been sexually assaulting her since January this year. She registered a complaint at Dwarka South Police station. Considering the complaint, police registered an FIR under sections of sexual assault against the judge.

Consequently, he was suspended by Delhi High Court. "The court immediately suspended the judge after the FIR was registered against him," said a police official.

Meanwhile, the Shahadra Bar Association in their statement said the allegation of sexual harassment was false and might have prompted Malik to take such an extreme step.

"He has been admitted to Hedgewar Hospital. He was in depression due to alleged false allegation of molestation by some woman," the statement said. Depressed by suspension over the charge, Malik, who lived with his family in the residential complex for judges in Karkardooma court, took the extreme step by consuming sleeping pills in a huge quantity in his room on Friday morning.

His wife and daughter also allegedly consumed sleeping pills but were safe as they vomited them out. A suicide note allegedly written by him was recovered from his house, sources said.

When the family members saw him lying unconscious on his bed, they immediately informed police, who came to the spot and rushed him to the nearby Hedgewar Hospital, where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). 

Doctors said his condition was stable. However, police could not record his statement as he was unfit for the same. "The matter is under investigation. The statement of the judge is necessary and once he is declared fit, the Investigative Officer (IO) will record the same," a police official said.