[dropcap]J[/dropcap]USTICE N V Ramana today recused himself from the in-house enquiry panel constituted to probe the alleged sexual harassment complaint of a former Supreme Court employee against the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
Justice Ramana was a member of the three-judge committee headed by Justice S A Bobde to enquire into the alleged sexual harassment complaint against the CJI Ranjan Gogoi.
Justice Ramana recused himself after the former Supreme Court employee and complainant raised questions about his presence in the panel. According to the complainant, Justice Ramana had doubted the veracity of her complaint.
Complainant raises questions
After the three-judge Committee was constituted, a notice was sent to the complainant requiring her presence before the Committee on April 26, 2019. In reply to this notice, the complainant raised several questions in the letter addressed to the committee members.
Also Read: ‘Lordships, consider my fears and apprehensions’: Sexual harassment complainant to Supreme Court panel
She specifically expressed apprehensions regarding Justice Ramana’s presence on the panel, pointing out that he often visited Justice Gogoi’s residence and was like a family member to him. In her letter, she wrote, “Justice Ramana is a frequent visitor to the residence of the CJI. Because of this, I fear that my affidavit and evidence will not receive an objective and fair hearing”.
Read the letter here:
[pdfviewer]https://cdn.theleaflet.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/25114811/complainant-final-1.pdf[/pdfviewer]
