Judge lodges complaint against misbehaving driver

A senior judge of the city civil and session court has lodged a complaint before the Principal Session Judge (PSJ) on Tuesday regarding alleged incident of altercation and misbehavior by his driver in the morning.

The communication, made by the judge in the afternoon, followed a scene created in the court complex in the morning at the Mirzapur District and Rural Court compound where the police, security staff, lawyers and other senior judicial officers were forced to intervene.

When contacted by media, the judge and PSJ Dr Jyotsna Yagnik confirmed that a communication has been made but refused to comment further on the issue.

However, buzz doing the circles at the court complex suggest that the judge who is posted as the special CBI judge, stays at Radhe Kishan society at Nana Chiloda in Gandhinagar district and is being chauffeured by government driver, Gumansinh Kumpavat.

The issue flared up when Kumpavat allegedly refused to enter the residential society of the judge on Monday evening as it was difficult to enter owing to some decorative sheds being put up there for a marriage ceremony. The driver repeated the same thing on Tuesday morning and the judge had to come walking to the car parked outside. On this, both entered in a heated argument and there was altercation even on their way to the court.

The judge then called up his staff over phone from the car asking them to call security guards to the court compound till they arrived at the court premises. When the car arrived at the gate, Kumpavat allegedly did not come out of the car and created a scene.
Ultimately police and lawyers had to intervene and convince him to park the car and step outside.

Later talking to media people, Kumpavat said it was difficult to take the car inside the society for the wedding venue arrangements. Hence, he parked the car outside the society. However, when he apologised over the incident, the judge did not file a police complaint and the issue was settled. President of the Ahmedabad District Court Bar Association, Ramesh Parekh said that though he was not present at the spot, he heard several versions of the matter, even the one that suggested that the judge was manhandled in his car, which, he said was not officially confirmed.