Bigger forces behind affidavit against me just before important poll cases: Ranjan Gogoi

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Saturday dismissed as ludicrous the unprecedented charges of sexual harassment against him and said a bigger force appeared to be behind a conspiracy to destabilise the judiciary and unsettle him ahead of important cases next week.

“If this (the allegations) was just reward for a person who has selflessly served as a judge of the constitutional court and is going to retire with a bank balance of Rs 6.8 lakh and a career-long PF accumulation of Rs 40-odd lakh? I would not stoop so low to even deny the charges,” question CJI Gogoi in anger.

“They cannot catch me on money so they have brought this up. This is the reward a chief justice gets after 20 years of service. I have Rs 6,80,000 in my account as savings and another Rs 40 lakh in my PF account. My peon has got more money than me. Reputation is the only thing a judge has. Even that is attacked,” the CJI said. “Less than 12 hours’ notice was given to me, the CJI, before this was published.”

“Enough is enough. The judiciary is under a very, very serious threat and cannot be made a scapegoat. This is pathetic. Judges have to work, discharge their judicial duties. Good people will never come (as judges) if they are attacked like this,” said Gogoi.

Further, various questions are being raised as the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has been part of the bench that heard the matter related to allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by a woman.

Under the Gender Sensitisation and Sexual Harassment of Women at the Supreme Court of India (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal), Regulations of 2013, it is again the CJI who sets up the Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee.