No permanent judgeship for Justice Ganediwala over her skin-to-skin contact judgment

New Delhi, Dec 16: The Supreme Court Collegium has decided not to appoint Justice Pushpa V Ganediwala as a permanent judge of the Bombay High Court. The ad-hoc judge had created a stir with back to back controversial judgments including the skin-to-skin contact verdict in a POSCO case.

This would mean she would revert back as a district judge at the end of her ad-joc judgeship in the second week of February next year. It may be recalled that the Centre had last year refused to give her a two year extension as ad hoc judge. Only one year's extension had been granted on the ground of her insensitivity towards children facing sexual abuse.

Following the judgement, the collegium headed by then Chief Justice of India, S A Bobde withdrew its January 20 2020 recommendation to the Centre to appoint her as a permanent judge of the Bombay HC.

She had shocked everyone when she acquitted a man in a POSCO case on the ground that pressing breasts of a minor without removing her top did not entail skin to skin contact.

A few days later she acquitted a 50 year old man by ruling the holding the hand of a five year old kin and unzipping pants in front of her could not be classified as a sexual offence under the POSCO Act.

Both the judgments were reversed by the Supreme Court.