Sexual harassment allegations against CJI: SC summons Delhi Police, CBI, IB chiefs for ‘secret meeting’ to apprise them of allegations

Sexual harassment allegations against CJI: SC summons Delhi Police, CBI, IB chiefs for ‘secret meeting’ to apprise them of allegations

FPJ BureauUpdated: Tuesday, May 28, 2019, 11:55 PM IST
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New Delhi: A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday resolved to get to the bottom of claims that a conspiracy was hatched by one of India’s biggest “corporate houses” to force Justice Ranjan Gogoi to resign as the Chief Justice by defaming him with a sexual harassment charge. The claim is based on the submission of a young lawyer Utsav Bains.

A distraught bench, concerned at the very ‘serious and disturbing’ charge, even summoned the chiefs of the Delhi Police, the CBI and the Intelligence Bureau, at a moment’s notice, for a ‘secret meeting’ to apprise them of the allegations. Advocate Bains in an affidavit has named certain people who have asserted that they can give litigants a bench of their choice. In other words, these people can fix the bench of the judges.

Bains has further claimed that he was offered Rs. 1.5 crore by one Ajay to represent a former employee of the Supreme Court and arrange a press conference against the Chief Justice Gogoi at the Press Club. Handing over “material evidence” to the court in a sealed cover, Bains said, “I have CCTV footage, which is real evidence. I am submitting material evidence to this court. The accused-mastermind is very powerful.”

During the hearing, the bench of Justices Arun Mishra, RF Nariman and Deepak Gupta took a very grim view of the allegations. Later, in a 4-page order, Justice Arun Mishra noted that the advocate is “a young man whose entire career is before him” and that “he knows the consequences of filing a false affidavit in this court.”

The Bench has now asked Bains to return to court on Thursday with more evidence. The bench also clarified that there is no connection between the hearing of Bains’ claims of larger conspiracy and the in-house inquiry ordered into the sexual harassment allegations against the CJI.

‘‘We should be more concerned with the contents of affidavit (submitted by lawyer Bains) than anything else,” Justice Mishra said as Indira Jaising insisted that the court should address the harassment aspect of the “episode.” Justice Mishra asked her not to disturb the court proceedings.

So far, Bains has identified only one person, Romesh Sharma, as allegedly running a “cash for judgment” racket in cahoots with businessmen and politicians, exercising considerable influence for years “which ultimately was brought to an end by the present CJI as he took decisive action against them after becoming the CJI.

Bains’ contention is that these ‘‘fixers,” who claim to be engaged in “managing” judgments in exchange for cash, were behind the conspiracy against the CJI to force him to resign, “thereby threaten every judge with dire consequences for being free and fearless in dispensing justice while pronouncing judgments against the rich and powerful in the country.”

After vetting Bains’ affidavit, Justice Mishra said: “”CJI (Gogoi) was trying to clean up the system. No CJI has shown the courage to take action against certain elements.

He was acting without fear of anyone.” Referring to “very disturbing episode” where two court masters had to be sacked for changing the order of the court on the personal appearance of a corporate tycoon, Justice Mishra said, “This has been happening but no Chief Justice had the courage to take such action. But now action was being taken without fear.”

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