The former employee of the Supreme Court, who accused Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment, on Tuesday pulled out from the in-house inquiry set up by the apex court to probe the charges against the CJI.
In a statement to the media, she said: “I felt I wasnot likely to get justice from this committee and so I am no longerparticipating in the 3-judge committee proceedings.”
Expressing serious reservations about the in-house committeecomprising Justices S.A. Bobde, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee, the womansaid: “The committee was an in-house committee of sitting judges junior tothe CJI and not an external committee as I had requested.”
The woman said during the committee hearing on April 26, thejudges on the panel had told her that this was neither an in-house committeeproceeding, nor a proceeding under the Vishakha Guidelines and that it was aninformal proceeding.
“I was asked to narrate my account which I did to thebest of my ability even though I felt quite intimidated and nervous in thepresence of three Hon’ble Judges of the Supreme Court and without having alawyer or support person with me,” said the woman.
The woman had pointed out to the committee that she had losthearing in one ear completely due to stress and that she was undergoing dailytreatment. As a consequence, she was unable to hear sometimes the instructionsthat were being dictated by Justice Bobde to the court official as a record ofmy statements before the committee.
“Further, the committee declined my request for videorecording of the committee proceedings. I was also clearly told that nolawyer/support person could be present with me during the committeehearing,” said the woman in her statement for boycotting the in-houseinquiry.
She said the committee instructed her orally not to disclosethe proceedings of the committee to the media and not to share the proceedingswith my lawyer Vrinda Grover.
Last week, Justice N.V. Ramana, who was on the committeeinitially, had withdrawn after the woman complained that he was a family friendof the Chief Justice and sought the inclusion of a second woman judge. Thethree-member committee was recast after her objections.