Police in Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, have arrested an advocate accused of voyeurism and stalking by a female judge. Advocate Mohammad Haroon has been identified as the accused. Haroon is accused of making vulgar remarks and misbehaving with female judge Harshita Sachan.
According to accounts, Mohammad Haroon used to send derogatory texts to the female judge posted in Hamirpur civil court. He used to stare at her at work and then follow her home in the evening. Several times, the lady judge objected to the message being communicated and admonished Haroon. However, the lawyer did not stop harassing the lady judge. When the situation became untenable, the lady judge filed an FIR at the Hamirpur police station.
The police registered an FIR against the lawyer on Friday based on the Judge’s complaint under Sections 354-D (stalking) and 354-C (voyeurism) of the Indian Penal Code.
हमीरपुर में सिविल महिला जज ने ज़िला न्यायालय के वकील हारून पर लगाया छेड़खानी का गंभीर आरोप
— Dinesh shukla (दिनेश शुक्ला) 🇮🇳 (@Dinehshukla) August 20, 2022
सिविल जज जूनियर डिवीज़न की तहरीर पर वकील मो हारून पर 354 (C) व 354( D) दर्ज की FIR
सिविल महिला जज ने इवनिंग वॉक के दौरान वकील द्वारा भद्दे-भद्दे कमेंट पास करने व पीछा करने का लगाया आरोप pic.twitter.com/Ga3yM3Dqap
In the complaint, the Judge stated, “In the fourth week of July, I noticed that the accused advocate was ogling at me through a window slit and when I was walking out of my chamber. It happened twice that week.”
In addition, the victim judge stated that on August 18, the accused approached her and whispered something to her. “But I kept walking and got a whiff of liquor smell coming off him. I filmed him turning towards me and then walking to-and-fro at the same place, waiting for me to walk again. Thereafter, I decided to speak to senior judges and lodge an FIR,” she added in the complaint.
Anoop Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police in Hamirpur, stated, “Acting on the FIR lodged by the woman judge in Hamirpur court on Saturday, we arrested Mohammed Haroon from Laxmibai crossing under Kotwali police station area on Monday.”
मो० हारून जैसे वकील अधिवक्ता समाज के लिए बड़ा कलंक है – दिनेश शर्मा (अध्यक्ष, बार एसोसिएशन हमीरपुर)
— Sudarshan UP (@SudarshanNewsUp) August 20, 2022
(मोहम्मद हारून पर हमीरपुर में महिला सिविल जज के साथ छेड़खानी करने का मुकदमा दर्ज हुआ है)@dmhamirpurup @barcouncilindia @BarCouncilofUP pic.twitter.com/QDkXhWxh5A
Meanwhile, President of Hamirpur Bar Association Dinesh Sharma said, “Harshita madam has filed a molestation report. We oppose, and condemn what Haroon did. We demand strict action against the advocate. If the FIR is on a true incident, then we will write to the Bar Council demanding the cancellation of Haroon’s license. Such persons and advocates are a stigma in the society.”
