Kerala HC sets aside transfer of judge who made controversial remarks on women's attire

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday set aside the transfer of a sessions judge who had made controversial observations in his orders while granting bail to an accused in two sexual harassment cases in Kozhikode district of the state, saying the decision to transfer him was "punitive in nature" and "unfair".

A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohammed Nias C P, while setting aside the transfer of Sessions Judge S Krishnakumar as Presiding Officer of a labour court, said the same was not only "prejudicial and stigmatic" to him but would also have "a deleterious effect on the morale of the judicial officers in the state".

At the same time, the bench also said the observations of the appellant in the bail order were indeed "derogatory to women and wholly uncalled for".