The elevation of district judge, Rajesh Kumar Gupta, to the High Court of Madhya Pradesh has caused much consternation to a Civil Judge(Junior Division), serving in Shadol, Madhya Pradesh, compelling her to instantly resign from her position just hours after the Central Government cleared the judicial officer’s elevation. judge who is yet to take oath has been accused of harassment by the civil judge.

In a poignant resignation letter directed to the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Judge Aditi Kumar Sharma, articulated her reasons, stating, "With every ounce of my moral strength and emotional exhaustion, I hereby resign from judicial service not because I lost faith in justice, but because justice lost its way inside the very institution sworn to protect it."

Her resignation follows numerous complaints made by Sharma to both the President of India and the Supreme Court Collegium, urging them to reconsider Gupta’s elevation, amid claims of systemic indifference towards her concerns.

Sharma described her departure as "a statement of protest," underscoring the weight of her circumstances. She added, "Let it remain in your archives as a reminder that there once was a woman judge in Madhya Pradesh who gave her all to justice, and was broken by the system that preached it the loudest."

Calling to memory, Sharma was one of six women judges relieved from her duties in June 2023 and the rationale behind the judicial removals was linked to unsatisfactory performance during the probation period, a decision made by a governmental law department following an administrative committee's deliberations.

Additionally, two other judicial officers had also registered complaints about Gupta’s conduct.

The Supreme Court bench had ultimately intervened, taking suo motu cognizance and ordering the reinstatement of all six judges, including Sharma. The bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh highlighted the need for the Madhya Pradesh High Court to show greater sensitivity to women judges, stating that "justice must also be seen to be done within judicial institutions."

Following this Sharma resumed her duty as Civil Judge (junior division).

In her subsequent communications, Sharma reiterated her belief that people accused of serious allegations should not receive promotions without scrutiny. She expressed frustration at the lack of inquiry into her claims against Gupta, who had been rewarded instead.

Her resignation letter also mentions,"Shri Rajesh Kumar Gupta who orchestrated my suffering was not questioned, was rewarded, recommended, elevated, given a pedestal instead of a summons. The man I accused not lightly, not anonymously, but with documented facts and the raw courage only a wounded woman can summon was not even asked to explain. No inquiry. No notice. No hearing. No accountability is now titled Justice, a cruel joke upon the very word."

She ended her letter with a sharp indictment of the institution, asserting, "You refused to protect one of your own’’.