The suspended additional chief judicial magistrate of Kashipur has been dismissed after corruption charges levelled against her were found to be true. This is the first time in the 19-year history of Uttarakhand that a judicial officer has been dismissed from service. The action was taken by the personnel department on the recommendation of the High Court chief justice and approval from the Governor.
According to sources in the high court, 2005 batch judicial officer, Anuradha Garg was the additional chief judicial magistrate in Kashipur. After serious charges of corruption and irregularities were levelled at her, the then chief justice had in March 2015 appointed the then registrar (judicial) Narendra Datt the inquiry officer to conduct a confidential probe into the allegations. He had submitted his inquiry report to the chief justice later in the same month. The inquiry report had stated that the allegations levelled against Garg were found to be true. On the basis of this report, the registrar general on the directions of the chief justice had suspended the additional chief judicial magistrate on March 27, 2015 and attached her to the district court in Udham Singh Nagar. She had also been directed to not go on leave without the permission of the district judge. Following a probe that lasted about four years, the high court chief justice had recommended the dismissal of Garg. Acting on the recommendation, the state’s personnel department has dismissed Garg from service.