Ranjan Gogoi Sexual Harassment Case: 'Disappointed, Dejected', Says Complainant After SC In-House Panel Clears CJI

New Delhi, May 6: After the Supreme Court appointed three-judge in-house committee probing the allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi on Monday gave a clean chit to the CJI in the matter, the complainant said she was "disappointed" and "dejected". The panel comprises Justice SA Bobde, Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Indu Malhotra, said it found nothing substantial in the allegations.

"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 malafide 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," the complainant said in a press release.

"The in-house committee has found no substance in the allegations contained in the complaint dated April 19, 2019, of a former employee of the Supreme Court of India," the apex court said in a statement. The in-house panel submitted its report on May 5, in accordance with the "in-house procedure to the next senior most judge competent to receive the report and also sent a copy of the report to the judge concerned, namely the Chief Justice India."

The panel also said that the "in-house procedure was not liable to be made public." Reacting to this, the complainant said it shattered all her hopes of getting justice. "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," she said.

The committee was formed after the woman, who is a former Supreme Court employee, on April 19 levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice Gogoi, reportedly in a letter addressed to 22 judges of the Supreme Court. On April 30, she had said that she would no longer appear before the in-house panel set up by the apex court to probe her charges as she felt that she was "not likely to get justice".

Justice Gogoi appeared before the in-house panel on May 1. When the allegations of sexual harassment first surfaced on April 20, the CJI held an urgent hearing and he categorically denied the woman's allegations. Justice Gogoi termed it as an attack on the independence of the judiciary. "There has to be bigger force behind this, they want to deactivate office of Chief Justice," he had said during the hearing.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 06, 2019 08:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).