Activists protest against clean chit to CJI in sexual harassment case

New Delhi: A day after an in-house inquiry committee formed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi to probe sexual harassment charges against him gave him a clean chit, police on Tuesday detained several activists and lawyers who had gathered outside the Supreme Court (SC) demanding a fair probe.

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As many as 56 protesters, including some journalists, were detained during the demonstration.

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“So many women holding placards and protesting peacefully outside the court against the ex-parte clean chit to CJI by the in-house committee of his colleagues are arrested and taken to the police station. Does Constitutional right to protest not apply to the Supreme Court?” lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan tweeted.

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National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) general secretary Annie Raja said the protest was organised to question the methodology adopted by the in-house panel.

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“We want a fair trial for the ex-Supreme court staffer who has accused the CJI of sexually harassing her. Women have waged a struggle for very long and will continue to do so for their rights. The SC committee has violated all existing norms. We want a transparent inquiry,” Raja said.

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On Monday, the three-member inquiry panel said it did not find any substance in the allegations levelled by a former Supreme Court staffer.

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“The in-house inquiry committee has found no substance in the allegations in the complaint dated April 19 of a former employee of the Supreme Court,” the top court said in a statement.

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In an affidavit sent to 22 Supreme Court judges, the woman had mentioned two incidents of alleged molestation, days after Justice Gogoi was appointed CJI last October.

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The woman, who worked at Justice Gogoi’s office, alleged that she was removed from service after she rebuffed his “sexual advances”.

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On Tuesday, Justice Gogoi reiterated that the allegations against him were part of a plot to attack the office of CJI.

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Meanwhile, the woman staffer said her worst fears came true and she now feared for her life.

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“Today, my worst fears have come true, and all hopes of justice from the highest court of the land have been shattered. I am now extremely terrified because the committee, despite having all material placed before them, gave me no justice or protection and said nothing about the absolutely mala fide dismissal, indignities and humiliations suffered by me and my family,” the woman (name withheld) told media.

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