Judge who gave 'groping without skin to skin not sexual assault' verdict, faces Centre's ire

Bombay High Court additional judge Justice Pushpa Ganediwala, whose tenure as an additional judge was to end on Friday, was given a new 1-year term as an additional judge, instead of two years as was recommended by the Supreme Court collegium.

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New Delhi: An additional judge of the Bombay High Court who created a furore over her controversial verdicts in two sexual assault cases, was given a new 1-year term as an additional judge, instead of two years as was recommended by the Supreme Court collegium, PTI reported.

Justice Pushpa Ganediwala, whose tenure as an additional judge was to end on Friday, will begin her fresh tenure from Saturday, February 13. 

The Centre decided not to consider the collegium's recommendation of a fresh two year term instead the government has decided to extend the period by only one year.

The Centre also did not ask the collegium, which had on January 20 approved the proposal for making Justice Ganediwala a permanent judge, to reconsider its recommendation of a fresh two year term.

Though, additional judges are usually appointed for two years before being elevated as permanent judges.

This decision was taken after Justice Pushpa Ganediwala created a huge row after delivering two back-to-back ruling on sexual assault cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The judge ruled that groping without skin-to-skin contact cannot come under the purview of sexual assault. Which led to the acquittal of a man accused of groping a 12-year-old girl's breast.

Earlier, she had ruled that holding the hands of a five-year-old girl and unzipping the trousers does not amount to "sexual assault" as specified under the POCSO Act.

Later the Supreme Court stayed the Bombay High Court order acquitting the man after Attorney General K K Venugopal said the order would set a dangerous precedent.