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Sexual harassment charge, CJI livid

NEW DELHI: In an unprecedented development, a dismissed employee of the Supreme Court has written to 22 judges of the court levelling allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, who termed these “unbelievable”.

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20

In an unprecedented development, a dismissed employee of the Supreme Court has written to 22 judges of the court levelling allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, who termed these “unbelievable”.

Barely a few hours after the allegations were reported by four online portals, a Bench of the CJI, Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna conducted an extraordinary hearing on Saturday and alleged a larger conspiracy behind the allegations and that he would not stoop too low even to deny these.

During the 30-minute hearing, the CJI said the independence of judiciary was under “very serious threat” and “unscrupulous allegations” of sexual harassment had been levelled as some “bigger force” wanted to “deactivate” the office of CJI.

“The judiciary cannot be made a scapegoat,” the CJI said. Though the CJI was heading the Bench, he left it to Justice Mishra to take a call on passing a judicial order. An order signed by Justice Mishra and Justice Khanna left it to the “wisdom of media” to show restraint and act responsibly so that independence of judiciary is not affected.

Justice Gogoi, who assumed the office of the CJI on October 3 last year, will retire on November 17.

Confirming receipt of a letter by several sitting judges, Supreme Court Secretary General Sanjeev Sudhakar Kalgaonkar said all the allegations by the woman were mala fide and had no basis. 

The issue has come up at a time when a Bench headed by him is scheduled to hear “many, many sensitive cases” next week and this was also the month of Lok Sabha elections, the CJI pointed out.

“This is the reward a CJI gets after 20 years of service,” he said, warning that “the judiciary is under very serious threat. We will not allow this to happen. I will sit on this chair and discharge my judicial functions without any fear.”

Bar Council of India chairman Manan K Mishra condemned the “false and cooked-up” allegations.

Attorney General KK Venugopal told the court that earlier also two such instances had come to light, against a former judge and a senior advocate, and the media was asked not to publish.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said it “appears to be a sheer blackmail technique”.

‘Common thread in queries by portals’

New Delhi: CJI Ranjan Gogoi said there was a “common thread” in communications sent to him by four news portals that carried stories on allegation of sexual harassment against him, and suggested a “bigger force” could be behind the controversy to “deactivate” the office of the CJI. He said the portals — Scroll, The leaflet, Caravan and the Wire — carried the stories on the allegations. “There is a common thread in the communications, and the questions I was asked to answer are common,” he said, adding, “they (news portals) gave less than five hours’ notice to respond”.  

“This is unbelievable. I do not think I should stoop too low even to deny these allegations. But that comes after 20 years of selfless service as a judge,” he said. PTI

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