Justice NV Ramana recuses himself from probe panel
The panel now has two women judges, including Justice Indira Banerjee.
New Delhi: A day ahead of the crucial in-house inquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, one of the panel members, Justice N.V. Ramana, recused from the committee headed by Justice S.A. Bobde.
Sources said that Justice Ramana opted out of the panel following objections from the complainant who said that he is a “family friend” of the Chief Justice.
Meanwhile, Justice Indu Malhotra of the Supreme Court was appointed as the third member of an in-house inquiry panel.
The panel now has two women judges, including Justice Indira Banerjee.
Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra was on Thursday appointed as a new member of the in-house inquiry panel set up to examine the allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, following the recusal of Justice N.V. Ramana. Justice S.A. Bobde, who is heading the panel and is the senior-most judge after the CJI, has appointed Justice Mal-hotra to the committee.
Justice Ramana in his letter has said that he has not recused owing to the objections raised by the apex court’s former woman employee who has levelled allegations of sexual harassment against the CJI, the sources said.
Justice Indira Banerjee is also part of the panel. “I have been given the power to constitute or re-constitute the panel and conduct the inquiry,” Justice Bobde told PTI.
“I have inducted a new member and this will be sent to the full court for approval,” he said.
Justice Bobde said that first sitting of the panel will be held on Friday as per schedule. “We are going to have our first sitting as scheduled on Friday. The notice which was sent to the woman employee on Tuesday remains and there is no need to issue a fresh notice,” he said.
The woman had also asked the panel to allow her to appear before it along with a lawyer and the proceedings of the committee be video recorded so that there can be no dispute.