8 years on, Telangana High Court revokes judge’s forced retirement over misconduct

On August 18, the Telangana High Court overturned a 2018 decision that had ordered the compulsory retirement of a trial court judge due to misconduct. The court found the punishment to be "unduly harsh and shockingly disproportionate" to the established misconduct. The judge, who joined the Andhra Pradesh Judicial Service as a junior civil judge, was accused of misconduct during a March 2014 incident involving police personnel.

The court stated that the allegations did not involve corruption, lack of integrity, or dishonest motives. The judge underwent basic training at the Andhra Pradesh Judicial Academy and was transferred to Visakhapatnam district while still undergoing training. He was issued six Articles of Charge and underwent disciplinary proceedings.

Two of the charges were found proved, while the others were not. The court reinstated the judge without back wages and noted that his misconduct did not warrant compulsory retirement.