Cuttack, July 13:: In a significant ruling, Orissa high court on Friday quashed the premature retirement of judicial officer Sanjaya Kumar Sahoo and directed the matter to be reconsidered afresh by the competent authority.
Sahoo, who joined the judiciary in 1997 as additional civil judge (junior division)-cum-judicial magistrate second class, was serving as presiding officer of the family court in Nabarangpur when his premature retirement from service was notified on March 11, 2022, at the age of 55.
The superannuation age for judicial officers is 60. A division bench of Justices Dixit Krishna Shripad and Mruganka Sekhar Sahoo passed the order on a petition filed by Sahoo, challenging the state govt's decision. He was represented by advocate Purusottam Chuli.
The govt cited multiple grounds for Sahoo's premature retirement, including a disciplinary proceeding from 2007, a complaint by a night watchman alleging caste-based abuse and use of filthy language, and a boycott by the district Bar association citing unruly behaviour and procedural lapses.
However, the court noted that the disciplinary proceedings were dropped after due consideration and that Sahoo had subsequently been promoted multiple times, the last being to district judge (selection grade) in 2021.
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