Sexual harassment case: Woman breaks silence, says allegation against CJI not part of conspiracy

After the Justice S.A. Bobde in-house committee gave clean chit to CJI Ranjan Gogoi in sexual harassment probe, the former Supreme Court staffer who levelled the charges against Justice Gogoi said in her first interview since her complaint that she is not part of any conspiracy to defame the institution.

In an interview conducted through her lawyer and senior advocate Vrinda Grover, which was published in the Hindustan Times, the complainant have said that she is not part of any conspiracy. “I am not the part of any conspiracy against the Supreme Court. I have great respect for this institution. To protect the honour of the Supreme Court, there should be strict action against any wrongdoing, whether it is corruption or sexual harassment or anything else,’’ she said.  

“The affidavit is the truth of my life and there is no conspiracy,” she said, adding, “I am hearing many rumours about conspiracy and some other motives which are all false and I am extremely distressed and disturbed that such allegations are being made. I have nothing to be scared about because I know I am not part of any conspiracy. The rumours, of me being part of a larger conspiracy against the Supreme Court, are totally false.”

Earlier, the Justice S.A. Bobde in-house committee had found “no substance” in the sexual harassment allegations levelled by a former Supreme Court staff member against CJI Ranjan Gogoi. A statement issued by the Supreme Court said the committee’s report would be kept confidential. As part of the in-house procedure, the report would not be placed in the public domain, the court added. It said copies of the report were given to Chief Justice Gogoi and the “next senior judge competent to receive the report” that is Justice Arun Mishra who is the fourth senior most judge.

In the affidavit, the complainant had also claimed that she and her family have been facing consistent persecution that includes her termination after she rebuffed Chief Justice Gogoi. “I say that the CJI has misused his position, office and authority and abused his clout and power to influence the police,” she said in her affidavit.

In her interview to the Hindustan Times, the complainant said that the intimidation and harassment being faced by her family has not stopped and was, in fact, increasing. “A few days ago some people went to the house of my sister who lives in a town in Uttar Pradesh. They told her husband that if I continue to speak, my life is in danger. My sister and her family are extremely frightened and scared by all this. We don’t know who these people are and how they got to know where my sister lives. I understand that these are all ways of terrorising me so that I again become quiet.”

After the in-house committee had found “no substance” in the sexual harassment allegations levelled by a former Supreme Court staff member against CJI Ranjan Gogoi, the complainant said, “Today, my worst fears have come true, and all hope of justice and redress from the highest court of the land has been shattered. In fact, the committee has announced that I will not even be provided a copy of the report, and so I have no way of comprehending the reasons and basis for the summary dismissal of my complaint of sexual harassment and victimisation”.