Over 250 Women Call for Fair Enquiry into Allegations Against CJI

The women penned a letter to SC judges, seeking a thorough probe into the sexual harassment allegations.

Over 250 women – lawyers, scholars, women's group – have sought a fair and impartial enquiry into the sexual harassment allegations against the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Rajan Gogoi on Wednesday, 24 April.

In a letter to Supreme Court judges, accessed by The Quint, the women demanded:

1. A Special Enquiry Committee consisting of credible individuals be constituted to conduct a thorough enquiry at the earliest and create an atmosphere of transparency and confidence for the complainant to depose.
2. The Special Enquiry Committee should follow the norms of the IC and accordingly conduct its enquiry.
3. The Chief Justice of India should refrain from transacting official duties and responsibilities until the completion of the enquiry.
4. The complainant should be allowed legal assistance from a lawyer of her choice.
5. The enquiry should be completed within 90 days as stated in the law.

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An ex-SC staffer, on 19 April, alleged that the CJI has sexually harassed her while she was employed as a junior court assistant in the apex court in October last year.

'CJI's Response Was Worrisome'

In the letter, the women said, "While the allegations listed in the affidavit are shocking, equally worrisome was the response of the Chief Justice: apart from denying the charges, he constituted a Special Bench along with two other Judges at 10.30 am to hear a matter of “great public importance touching upon the independence of judiciary.”

They said that the CJI as well as the Special Bench have "responded as most men, in public office or in positions of authority and power do, when accused of sexual misconduct."

"Denial of the allegations, maligning the complainant, citing past histories, imputing ulterior motives to the complainant are familiar and regular devices deployed by accused men," the letter read.

“Not only have the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court of India not set an example by their behaviour, but they appear to have moved a step ahead to delegitimise women’s complaints of sexual harassment – they have declared that the allegation is itself an attempt to tarnish the independence of the Judiciary.”

They said the measures that they have demanded from the judges will uphold the "dignity and independence of the Judiciary and and more particularly, “restore the faith of all women in the Judiciary".