New Delhi: The government notified Monday the resignation of Justice Pushpa Ganediwala. She had faced flak over a series of judgments deemed controversial for the interpretation of what constitutes ‘sexual assault’ under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Bombay High Court Judge Pushpa Ganediwala had tendered her resignation February 11.
Ganediwala, while delivering one of her judgements in a child sexual abuse case in 2021, observed that there should be ‘skin-to-skin contact with sexual intent’ in order to be considered as sexual assault.
“Smt. Justice Pushpa Virendra Ganediwala, has tendered her resignation from the office of Additional Judge, Bombay High Court, in pursuance of proviso (a) to clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution, with effect from 11th February, 2022,” the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry said in a notification Monday.
Justice Ganediwala had tendered her resignation a day before her tenure as additional judge was to end. She was neither given extension nor elevated as a permanent judge by the Supreme Court Collegium.
After her judgments delivered in January and February 2021, the apex court collegium had withdrawn its recommendation to appoint Justice Ganediwala as a permanent judge and instead extended for one year her tenure as additional judge. The tenure was to end February 12.