GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 6th Oct. The Supreme Court has set aside the removal of a woman sarpanch in a Maharashtra village, emphasizing that the removal of an elected public representative, particularly a woman from rural areas, should not be treated lightly.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that the case reflected villagers’ resistance to accepting a female leader and underscored the need to protect gender parity and women’s empowerment in public offices.
The court ruled in favor of Manish Ravindra Panpatil, the elected sarpanch of Vichkheda village in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, who was removed based on allegations that she lived in a house built on government land.
The court found the removal order baseless, criticizing local authorities for failing to conduct a proper fact-finding investigation and relying on unverified claims by private respondents.
The top court highlighted the systemic prejudice faced by women elected under reservation quotas and called for creating a more supportive environment for women in public office. It termed the removal of Panpatil as “highly disproportionate” and allowed her to continue as sarpanch until the end of her tenure.
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