Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi gets a clean chit

Guwahati: Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi gets a clean chit today by a three-judge Supreme Court panel who was investigating the allegations of sexual harassment case registered by a former employee of the court against the CJI.

The in-house committee headed by Justice SA Bobde said that it didn't find any substance in the allegations of a former top court employee who had accused Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment.

According to a statement from the secretary general of the Supreme Court, the report has been submitted to the next senior judge competent to receive the report as well as to the Chief Justice of India. The statement further reads as, "The in-house committee has found substance in the allegations made by the former employee of the supreme court." It also said that the report filed by the panel would not be made public.

The woman who made the allegations opted out of the Supreme Court probe into the allegations against the chief justice saying that the atmosphere of the inquiry was very frightening.

The probe into the charges against the CJI was being held by a three-judge panel of Justices- SA Bobde, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee.

A former woman employee of the Supreme Court of India accused Gogoi of sexual misconduct for which the apex court on Saturday held an urgent hearing on the case on April 20.

Chief Justice Gogoi has set up a special bench comprising of Justices Arun Mishra and Sanjiv Khanna to hear the case.

CJI Ranjan Gogoi spoke his heart out in the courtroom during the hearing and said that the judiciary is under tremendous threat today. He further said that he doesn't want to bend down so low so as to answer these charges.

The CJI said, "An attempt is being made to undermine the independence of the judiciary by levelling allegations of sexual harassment against the Chief Justice of India. Allegations are being hurled against me because I am hearing a sensitive case next week. I will not give in and I have seven months of service left to hear and decide the cases as they have to be done."

Justice Gogoi denied the allegations of sexual harassment made by the former woman employee saying that there are forces that are trying to destabilize the judiciary. He further claimed that the woman who has made the allegations has a criminal background and that there are two FIRs against her.

It has been informed further that the woman worked as a former junior assistant at the home of CJI Gogoi. The lady was dismissed from her service last year after an incident of inappropriate behaviour which was reported to the Registry.

Also Read: NATIONAL NEWS