New Delhi :
A woman who had accused Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment has written to the Supreme Court’s in-house probe committee, that gave him a clean chit, demanding a copy of the report giving a clean chit to the CJI on all charges.
"I have a right to know how, why and on what basis have your Lordships found my complaint to have 'no substance'," the complainant said, adding she was "deeply shocked" on the outcome of the committee's findings.
"Despite my detailed affidavit, ample corroborative evidence and clear, consistent statement reiterating my experience of sexual harassment and consequent victimisation, the Committee has found no substance in my complaint and affidavit," she said.
The three-member committee had on Monday given clean chit to CJI Ranjan Gogoi, saying it "found no substance" in the allegations. The top court administration had said the report "is not liable to be made public", citing the verdict in the 2003 case of Indira Jaising vs Supreme Court of India.
Immediately after the office of the top court's Secretary General came out with the findings of the three-member Committee headed by Justice S A Bobde that "has found no substance" in the allegations of sexual harassment, the woman in a statement, said she was extremely "scared and terrified" because the In- House Committee, has not given her justice or protection and said nothing about the absolutely mala fide dismissals and suspensions.
"I, the woman complainant, a former Supreme Court employee, am not just highly disappointed and dejected to learn that the In-House Committee 'has found no substance' in my complaint, but feel that gross injustice has been done to me as a woman citizen of India.
"I am now extremely scared and terrified because the In- House Committee, despite having all material placed before them, has given me no justice or protection and said nothing about the absolutely mala fide dismissals and suspensions, indignities and humiliations suffered by me and my family. I and my family members remain vulnerable to the ongoing reprisals and attack," she said in a press statement.
The woman further said that the complaint in the form of an affidavit was sent by her to the Justices of the top court on April 19, 2019 and she was "alarmed" at the conclusion arrived at by the In House Committee, as her accusation of sexual harassment at the workplace and the consequent relentless victimization and reprisals against her and her family, are substantiated by documents and are verifiable.
She said that on April 26, 2019, she had joined the proceedings of the Committee and from the very beginning expressed serious concerns and reservations that the manner in which the proceedings were being conducted would not mitigate the stark asymmetry of power between her and the CJI.
In the release, she said: "Today, my worst fears have come true, and all hope of justice and redress from the highest Court of the land have been shattered. In fact the Committee has announced that I will not even be provided a copy of the report, and so I have no way of comprehending the reasons and basis for the summary dismissal of my Complaint of sexual harassment and victimisation.
"I have already placed my earlier communications with the Committee in the public domain through my press note dated April 30, 2019, when I was compelled to walk out of the Committee proceedings as the Committee had refused to accept even my most basic requests for a fair hearing."
With Agency Inputs
