Supreme Court surrounded by protestors after CJI Gogoi clean chit, Section 144 imposed

Guwahati, May 7, 2019:

In view of the growing protests after a three judges panel gave a clean chit to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi in the sexual harassment case, the Delhi Police on Tuesday imposed Section 144 outside the Supreme Court.

The panel of judges was headed by Justice SA Bobde. It stated in its report that it did not find any substance in the claims of the dismissed Supreme Court employee who had leveled allegations of sexual harassment against the Chief Justice.

The complainant used to work as a junior court assistant at the top court. On April 19, she wrote to 22 Supreme Court judges, alleging that Gogoi had made sexual advances on her at his residence office on October 10 and 11.

Gogoi denied the allegations during a special hearing on April 20. The chief justice said he did not “deem it appropriate” to reply to the allegations and that they were part of a “bigger plot”, possibly one to “deactivate the office of the CJI”.

CJI Gogoi was given a clean chit in the sexual harassment case by the three-judge Supreme Court panel, which was headed by Justice SA Bobde, investigating the allegations.

The in-house committee said that it did not find any substance in the allegations of a former Supreme Court employee who had accused CJI Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment.

Things took an ugly turn after the police tried to disperse the gathering. Some journalists who went to cover the proceedings were also detained by police personnel.

Over 30 women activists have been detained by the police at Mandir Marg Police Station, Delhi.

The journalists were later released.

Security has also been beefed up outside the top court’s premises.