SC committee rejects sexual harassment allegations against CJI Ranjan Gogoi

A three-judge committee of the Supreme Court has "found no substance" in allegations made by a former court employee that Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had sexually harassed her.

A notice by the office of Supreme Court Secretary General said the committee's report dated May 5 is not liable to be made public, reported news agency PTI.

"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 court said in a statement.

The committee was set up after a former junior court assistant alleged that she was harassed at Gogoi's home, and that she was removed from her job unfairly. The 35-year-old woman also alleged that her husband and his brother were suspended from the Delhi Police as part of a harassment campaign.

Gogoi has rejected the allegations, saying they were part of a "larger conspiracy" to scuttle the court. “This is unbelievable,” said Gogoi on April 20 at a special hearing of the Supreme Court

“I should not stoop low even in denying it. There is some bigger force behind the woman,” he said after the allegations, dating from October, were reported in the media.

A committee comprising Justices S A Bobde, Indira Banerjee, and Indu Malhotra was set up to probe the allegations, but after appearing before it twice the complainant pulled out its proceedings on May 1.

She said she had “serious concerns and reservations” about the committee, alleging that she was not allowed a lawyer during the hearings and she felt intimidated.

AK Patnaik, a former Supreme Court judge, has been asked to probe an alleged conspiracy to frame Chief Justice in the sexual harassment case, and was to start his after in-house completed its report.