Section-144 imposed outside SC after protests against clean-chit to CJI
In what serves as a reminder of an Orwellian era, peaceful protesters were forcefully taken into police vans from Supreme Court premises on Tuesday. They were raising voice against the clean chit given to CJI Ranjan Gogoi in the sexual harassment case. Dozens of activists gathered at the top court with placards, but they were taken to Mandir Marg police station. Section 144 was also imposed. Here's what happened.
Backstory: Woman detailed the abuse, CJI Gogoi rubbished them
Last month, a former SC employee sent an affidavit to 22 judges of the top court detailing how she was harassed by CJI Gogoi in October 2018 at his home office. The charges shook the country's judicial system, but CJI rubbished them in an unprecedented hearing. As his presence on the bench drew ire, SC formed an in-house panel for "non-judicial" inquiry.
Woman left panel, CJI Gogoi was declared innocent by SC
The panel headed by Justice SA Bobde and including Justices Indira Banerjee and Indu Malhotra started the probe but the accuser was confident she wouldn't get justice. Neither was she given a legal representative nor were her statement recordings handed over to her. The panel, she claimed, didn't follow Vishaka guidelines and she exited the probe. Meanwhile, on Monday, the panel exonerated CJI Gogoi.
Nothing defines travesty of justice better
The way SC functioned after the allegations surfaced raised serious concerns. For one, CJI Gogoi headed a bench despite being the prime accused. Secondly, the woman's concerns were thrown in the bin. Though she told the panel she had hearing problems (because of stress due to harassment), the honorable justices didn't take steps to instil confidence in her. Moreover, the panel continued proceedings ex-parte.
Many gathered to support the woman
The woman's ill-treatment angered many, and rightly so. As a result, lawyers, activists, and members of civil society went to the top court to lodge a protest. Many placards had hard-hitting messages for the top court. One read: Be you ever so high, the law is above you. Another placard asked SC to have "some shame". But the protests definitely fell on deaf ears!
