SC lawyers' bodies step up pressure on CJI

Two Supreme Court lawyers’ bodies on Monday stepped up pressure on Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, questioning the suo motu proceedings held on Saturday over the sexual harassment allegations levelled by a woman.

The SC Advocate on Record Association (SCAoR) and the SC Bar Association expressed their strong disapproval at the “procedural impropriety shown by the CJI” and the “violation of procedure”. The bodies demanded a full court inquiry into the allegations.

The CJI had on Saturday presided over a special bench to take up the charges published in a few news portals. Though the CJI did not sign the order leaving the issue to the wisdom of media, he rubbished the charges, saying some forces wanted to deactivate the office of the CJI.

A resolution of the executive committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association passed after an emergency meeting on Monday stated that the procedure adopted on Saturday was “in violation of the procedure established by law as well as the principle of natural justice”.

It asked the full court to “take all such steps as may be required in law in this regard”.

SCAoR Association demanded immediate appointment of a committee to be headed by the full court of the SC to impartially investigate and inquire into the allegations.

“The allegations of ex-employee of the Supreme Court have to be dealt with as per procedure established by law and law must be applied in each and every case uniformly,” it said.

Meanwhile, in a related development, a Supreme Court lawyer, Utsav Singh Bains, who claimed to have been offered Rs 1.5 crore to hold a press conference on the woman’s allegations, filed an affidavit, wherein he accused one Romesh Sharma and a corporate giant behind the conspiracy to force the CJI to resign.