Allegation against CJI: Ex-staffer appears before panel

A former woman employee, who accused Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment, on Friday appeared before a three-judge inquiry panel at the Supreme Court.

The proceedings were conducted in camera by the panel, headed by senior most judge, Justice S A Bobde, and comprising two women judges, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee.

According to sources, the Secretary General of the court was also present with documents and materials.

During the hearing, however, only the woman was present and the Secretary-General was not privy to the proceedings.

Advocate not part

The advocate who had accompanied the woman to the apex court was also not part of the proceedings.

On April 23, Justice Bobde had said that the in-house procedure did not contemplate representation of advocates on behalf of parties as it was not formal judicial proceedings.

He had clarified that there was no time-frame to complete the inquiry and the future course of action will depend on "what comes out of the inquiry", which will be "confidential".

Justice Indu Malhotra was on Thursday appointed a new member of the committee after Justice N V Ramana recused himself.

Judge change

The judge change followed the complainant's letter to the panel on Wednesday, expressing reservation against the inclusion of Justice Ramana on the ground that he is a close friend of the CJI and a regular visitor to his house.

In the letter, she had also questioned the absence of external member on the panel as mandated under the Vishaka guidelines.

Justice Ramana, while recusing himself, had termed as "baseless and unfounded" the "aspersions" cast by the woman on him.

He said he recused only to "avoid any suspicion that this institution will not conduct itself in keeping with the highest standards of judicial propriety and wisdom".

The woman's allegations against the CJI were brought into the public domain by some news web portals on April 20.

The 35-year-old lower division clerk had worked at Justice Gogoi's home office in Delhi and the allegations were carried by the news portals based on her affidavit which was sent to 22 judges of the top court.

In her affidavit, the woman described two incidents of alleged harassment, days after Justice Gogoi was appointed CJI last October and her subsequent "persecution".

The woman alleged that she was removed from service after she rebuffed his "sexual advances".