News Desk |
In a national shock, India’s Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was caught in a storm on Saturday, April 20th after a former supreme court staff member alleged that the CJ had made unwanted advances towards her, Indian press reported.
Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the accusations made by a 35-year-old former court assistant were “unbelievable” and asked the media to show restraint in reporting the subject.
“I have taken this unusual and extraordinary step of sitting in court today because things have gone too far,” Gogoi said.
The woman, a married mother of one has called on the Supreme Court to set up a “special inquiry committee” to look into her accusations.
“This is unbelievable. I do not think I should stoop low even to deny these allegations … there has to be a bigger force behind this.”
Judge says will Continue Work ‘Without any Fear’
The chief justice, who is set to retire in November after a year as the top judge, said he was scheduled to hear many sensitive cases in the coming days and that he would continue his work “without any fear”.
“Why do you think a person decides to become a judge? Reputation is all that matters for a judge. If that is also under attack, what is left?”
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Gogoi said the woman had a criminal background and that the media must act responsibly on reporting the allegations. He went as far as to say that it was an attempt to “stop him hearing important cases”.
Saying that “judicial independence” was at stake, Gogoi, 64, called a special session of the apex court after the woman wrote to 22 Supreme Court judges on Friday, April 19, alleging that he twice made sexual advances in the office of his official residence in October last year.
Woman’s Affidavit
“He hugged me around the waist, and touched me inappropriately with his arms and, and did not let go,” she wrote in an affidavit seen and quoted by international media.
After the incident, the affected woman claimed that she was fired from her job and her family had been harassed after she rebuffed Gogoi’s advances.
“He told me ‘hold me’, he did not let go of me despite the fact that I froze and tried to get out of his embrace by stiffening and moving my body away,” the document added.
The woman, a married mother of one has called on the Supreme Court to set up a “special inquiry committee” to look into her accusations.
After the incident, the affected woman claimed that she was fired from her job and her family had been harassed after she rebuffed Gogoi’s advances.
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She also said she was summoned by Gogoi’s wife who asked her to prostrate herself and rub her nose at her feet to seek forgiveness.