TMC demands Ganguly's resignation after SC panel indicts him in sexual assault case

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday demanded the resignation of former Supreme Court judge A K Ganguly after the apex court panel indicted him prima facie of "unwelcome behaviour" relating to "conduct of sexual nature."

TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee said that the report of the Supreme Court panel shows that Justice Ganguly has committed certain offenses, which is not accepted, and asked the Delhi police to start criminal case against him immediately.

"The Supreme Court committee, which was constituted, they have found prima facie that unwelcome behaviour has been shown. This shows that Justice Ganguly has committed certain offenses, which is not accepted," he said.

"Two things are required to be done, Delhi police should start criminal case against him immediately, and secondly Justice Ganguly must step down immediately. It's a stigma on him,' he added.

Another TMC lawmaker Saugata Roy said that Ganguly's act has brought down the prestige of the Supreme Court.

"I have seen the report by the panel set up by the Supreme Court. The panel report establishes that the complaint made by the intern against Justice Ganguly was prima facie correct," he said.

"However, to save his own face and the prestige of the high office that he held, Justice Ganguly should resign from the chairmanship of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission. A. K. Ganguly's act definitely brought down the prestige of the Supreme Court," he added.

Roy further said that the Supreme Court panel has taken refuge behind technicalities to say that no action was called for since Justice Ganguly has already demitted office.

"I think the panel should have recommended some action. I think the panel was also not correct in naming the girl," he said.

Justice Ganguly has been indicted for sexually assaulting a law intern last December.

The findings of the three-judge panel said that the statements of the lawyer, who was interning with Ganguly, had disclosed "an act of unwelcome behaviour (unwelcome verbal/non-verbal conduct of sexual nature) by Mr. Justice (Retd.) A.K. Ganguly with her in the room in hotel Le Meridien on December 24, 2012 approximately between 8.00 p m. and 10.30 pm "

According to reports, Chief Justice P Sathasivam in his administrative order has held that no "follow-up action is required by this Court" since "the intern was not an intern on the roll of the Supreme Court and that the concerned Judge had already demitted office on account of superannuation on the date of the incident, no further follow up action is required by this Court."

The intern's allegations created a media furor with female lawyers and activists calling for the country's top court to investigate the incident and for the accused judge to be named publicly.