Suspension of Vigilance Court employee over secret recordings sparks row

The suspension of a Confidential Assistant (Selection Grade) on charges of secretly recording confidential judicial dictations and official conversations of the Vigilance Judge in Kottayam has snowballed into a full-blown controversy.

The employee, Sherly K.R., has been placed under suspension allegedly with multiple voice recordings of Rejanish K.V., the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Kottayam, stored on her mobile phone. “These recordings, made without the knowledge or consent of the Judge, included confidential judicial dictations and other official as well as unofficial conversations on different dates, while the Judge was discharging his official/judicial duties as the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Kottayam and Muvattupuzha,” read a report by the Special Judge .

According to the report, the intent behind such unauthorised recordings appeared to be to tarnish the image and reputation of the Presiding Officers of the Court and to misuse the material for ulterior motives.

The incident came to light on August 23, when the employee was allegedly caught recording a conversation with the Judge regarding her half-day leave, which she had availed without prior permission or intimation. When questioned, she admitted to the act and submitted an apology .

The report further noted that a similar complaint had earlier been received against Sherly from Raju N.V., Principal District and Sessions Judge, Kollam. Raising suspicions that other judicial officers might also have been recorded, the report observed: “The act of clandestinely recording the conversations of the Presiding Officers of the Court without authority or consent is a serious breach of discipline, trust, and confidentiality. It amounts to gross misconduct under the Kerala Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 1960, as well as applicable service rules.”

KGOA outcry

Meanwhile, the Kerala Gazetted Officers Association (KGOA) has warned of strong protests against the suspension and accused the Vigilance Judge of mentally harassing Ms. Sherly, also the District Joint Secretary of the outfit. According to the organisation, her application for casual leave on personal grounds had been denied since she had refused to cooperate with the `vested interests’ of the Court Manager.

“She was summoned to the chamber, kept confined there until 9 p.m. without even being provided drinking water, and was threatened that a false complaint would be obtained from the Court Manager, police officers would be called in, a criminal case would be registered, and she would be remanded and ultimately dismissed from service. When KGOA–NGO Union leaders, on learning that the employee was being detained late into the night, went to enquire, the Judge threatened them too, saying police cases would be registered against them,” the organisation said in a statement.