SC panel dismisses complaint of sexual harassment against CJI Ranjan Gogoi

The committee has found no substance in the allegations made against the CJI. It has also been held that the report of the committee is not liable to be made public.

NEW DELHI: An in-house Supreme Court panel on Monday dismissed the allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi levelled by a former woman employee of the apex court. The SC committee had submitted its report dated 5 May to the CJI. 

The committee has found no substance in the allegations made against the CJI. It has also been held that since the report is part of a committee constituted as per the in-house procedure, it is not liable to be made public.

The CJI had last week appeared before the in-house inquiry committee over the allegations against him making it the first time in history of Indian judiciary that a CJI appeared before a committee over allegations of sexual harassment, the source said.

"A letter of request was issued to the Chief Justice of India asking him to meet the committee and he responded it and he met the committee on this issue," the source told PTI.

The in-house inquiry committee looking into the allegations was headed by Justice SA Bobde, who is the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court after the CJI, and two other women judges of the apex court - justices Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee. The woman, who levelled the allegations, had walked out of the inquiry committee last week, raising objections over various issues, including denial of her lawyer's presence.