New Delhi: A former apex court employee, who levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, dubbed on Tuesday as “very frightening” the atmosphere of the in-house inquiry committee and “walked out” raising various objections including denial of her lawyer's presence.
The former employee of Supreme Court said that Tuesday was the third day she had gone to depose before the three-member panel headed by Justice S.A. Bobde. “But due to serious concerns and reservations, I am no longer participating in these in-house committee proceedings. I felt I was not likely to get justice from this committee and so I am no longer participating in the proceedings”.
The woman said she started participating in the proceedings even though it was an “in-house committee of sitting judges junior to the CJI and not an external committee as I had requested”.
But she alleged that the “atmosphere of the committee was very frightening and I was very nervous because of being confronted and questioned by three Supreme Court judges, without the presence of my lawyer/support person”.
She also said there was no audio or video recording of the proceedings as she requested and she was not given a copy of her statement.
She also mentioned th-at the witnesses of her case were staff of the co-urt and there is no likelihood of them being able to depose fearlessly befo-re the committee. She also expressed dissatisfaction about the committee not addressing her demand to follow the procedure under the Vi-shakha guidelines and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Against Wo-men at the Workplace Act 2013. The decision for in-house, private hearing by a three-member panel was taken last week by the SC. The three-member panel initially named was also tweaked after the complainant’s objections.
