Supreme Court panel finds ‘no substance’ in sexual-harassment allegations against CJI Ranjan Gogoi; woman complainant disappointed 

Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

New Delhi: A week after the woman complainant chose to withdraw from the probe, the Supreme Court in-house committee, comprising Justice SA Bobde, Justice Indu Malhotra and Justice Indira Banerjee, to inquire into the sexual-harassment allegations against chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has “found no substance” in the woman’s allegations.

The inquiry committee had submitted its report on May 5 in accordance with the in-house procedure to the next senior-most judge after Justice Bobde and also sent a copy to CJI Gogoi.

Earlier this week, the woman who made the allegations against CJI Gogoi waked out of the in-house probe saying that she was unlikely to get justice after such a probe.

Now, reacting to the clean chit given to CJI Gogoi by the SC panel, the complainant said that she was highly “disappointed and dejected.”

She further said, “I am now extremely scared and terrified because the in-house committee, despite having all material placed before them, has given me no justice or protection and said nothing about the absolutely mala fide dismissals and suspensions, indignities, and humiliations suffered by me and my family. I and my family members remain vulnerable to the ongoing reprisals and attack.”

She said the committee announced that she will not be provided a copy of the report. Hence, leaving no way for her “to comprehend the reasons and basis for the summary dismissal of my complaint of sexual harassment and victimization.”

Earlier, senior Supreme Court judge Justice DY Chandrachud, in a letter written on May 2 to the three-judge inquiry panel, had demanded a full court to consider the issues raised by him. In his letter, Justice Chandrachud had suggested the names of three retired women Supreme Court judges to choose from and said, “They are retired Justices Ruma Pal, Sujata Manohar and Ranjana Desai who are all apolitical and above board.”

The letter also asked the probe panel, comprising Justices Bobde, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee, to not proceed with the probe in the absence of the women complainant, who recently withdrew from the proceedings.

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