The Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, has been accused of sexual harassment by a 35-year-old woman who previously used to work at his home office as a junior court assistant.
According to sources, the woman submitted an affidavit to the 22 judges of Supreme Court elaborating on how the CJI sexually harassed her, dismissed her from her post, and continued to intimidate her further.
Reports reveal that the incident took place on 10th and 11th October last year wherein Gogoi allegedly tried making sexual advances at her.
“He hugged me around the waist, and touched me all over my body with his arms and by pressing his body against mine, and did not let go,” the woman mentioned in the affidavit.
She claimed that after rejecting his advances, an upset Gogoi dismissed her from service. In addition to that, her husband and brother-in-law, both then working as head constables in Delhi Police, were suspended from their duties. Later, her family was subjected to harassment as well.
At an “extraordinary and unusual” hearing which was held today at the Supreme Court in the presence of Justices Arun Mishra and Sanjiv Khanna, Gogoi rejected all allegation calling them “completely and absolutely false and scurrilous”.
He said that the allegations were motivated by the intention to “deactivate the office of the CJI”, sources revealed.
Reports suggest that Gogoi tried defending his integrity by mentioning how, for a judge, reputation is of utmost importance and that he only has 6.8 lakh INR in his account.
“This is the reward a Chief Justice of India gets after 20 years and a bank balance of Rs. 6.8 lakh”, he said in today’s hearing.
While the investigation is still ongoing, this news sure does come as a shocker!