CAT Jammu Bench expresses anguish, Stops her salary with immediate effect
A Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal comprising Member (J) Rajinder Singh Dogra and Member (A) Ram Mohan Johri at Jammu while expressing its displeasure over the non-filing of reply by the Director, Animal Husbandry, Jammu and Chairperson, Committee Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace (CASH) namely Shubhra Sharma (JKAS), the then Director, Animal Husbandry, Jammu and presently, Managing Director, JKRLM (Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission-UMEED) Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, J&K, has stopped the salary of Shubhra Sharma (JKAS), the then Director Animal Husbandry, Jammu with immediate effect and the DDO concerned has been directed to ensure that the salary of Shubhra Sharma (JKAS) be stopped with immediate effect till further orders.
These significant directions have been passed by the CAT Jammu Bench in an application filed by Anu Bala, Assistant Director, Fisheries Department, presently posted at Udhampur challenging the report of the Committee Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace (CASH) which was headed by Shubhra Sharma (JKAS) being its Chairperson 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 Hon’ble Supreme Court was not implemented in its letter and spirit and the entire enquiry was conducted in a manner unknown to law.
The Bench of CAT at Jammu while taking serious note of casual approach of Chairperson of the CASH Committee of the Animal Husbandry Department, Govt. of J&K observed that on perusal of records, it was revealed that vide orders dated 18-10-2024, 20-11-2024 , 18-12-2024 and 10-02-2025, the respondents were granted last and final opportunity to file their reply and in case, the same is not filed, then coercive action would be taken against them and still, the respondents did not bother to file reply till date, after availing sufficient time. The Bench further observed that despite issuance of conditional orders, the respondents have neither filed the reply nor they have appeared before the Court to explain why it has not been filed till date.
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 that, _”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 in order 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 that, _”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 of CAT at Jammu comprising Member (J) Rajinder Singh Dogra and Member (A) Ram Mohan Johri directed that salary of Shubhra Sharma (JKAS), Director Animal Husbandry, Jammu presently MD JKRLM be stopped with immediate effect till further orders and directed her DDO to ensure the stoppage of her salary till further orders.
Looking into the importance of the matter, the Bench directed the Registry to list this case again on April 11th, 2025.