Ex-SC staff objects to justice's inclusion in panel

An ex-woman employee who accused the CJI of sexual harassment has objected to inclusion of Justice N V Ramana as a member of a three-judge in-house inquiry panel to probe her charges.

On the decision to form the panel to probe her charges, the ex-employee contended that Justice Ramana had already spoken in Hyderabad on Saturday that "such attempts were also seen in the past and we should not be wary, we have to uphold dignity of the judiciary."

In response to the notice issued by the panel headed by senior most judge Justice S A Bobde and Justice Indira Banerjee as another member, the ex-staff said Justice Ramana was a close friend and like a family member of the CJI.

She also contended that her character has already been damaged without any reason and without hearing. She said the observations made by the CJI and other judges during a special bench hearing on Saturday contended that her complaint was already termed as false.

The panel sought her appearance on April 26. She said the committee should have an external woman member as per Vishakha guidelines and the 2013 law relating to Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment.

She sought assistance of a lawyer during the proceedings before the committee. She also demanded that the entire proceedings should be videographed so as to ensure that there was no dispute on what transpired over there.

"I have suffered a lot and I am hopeful that suffering and torture of my family will come to end soon," she said.