CDR YOGESH MAHLA Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, assails judgment dtd. 30/5/2025, passed by the Principal Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal,["the Tribunal", hereinafter] in OA 1024/2025,[42605-B CDR Yogesh Mahla v UOI] .

(2.) Following a complaint lodged by a lady officer whom we would, for obvious reasons, anonymise and refer to as X, of sexual harassment at the hands of the petitioner during his tenure as a Commander at the Naval Dockyard, Vishakhapatnam, an inquiry was initiated and conducted by the Internal Complaints Committee,["the ICC", hereinafter] in terms of Sec. 4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013,["the POSH Act", hereinafter] .

(3.) Consequent on the ICC returning its findings, a show cause notice dtd. 5/3/2025 was issued to the petitioner, containing various articles of charge and requiring the petitioner to tender his response thereto. The show cause notice was issued by the Chief of Naval Staff.