Attorney General KK Venugopal ducks for now, says not resigning

Under intense media glare after two letters written by him to the Supreme Court judges over the sexual harassment row involving Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi went public, Attorney General KK Venugopal on Friday denied that the letters had anything to do with pressure from the Government and scoffed at rumours of his possible exit.

Venugopal, 88, whose term lasts until June 2020, had written a letter to the top five judges, including the CJI, on April 22, two days after allegations of sexual harassment against Gogoi surfaced. The letter contained a request to make retired judges a part of the In-House Committee, which was a panel formed to inquire into the allegations against Gogoi. The next day, on April 23, he shot yet another letter to the judges explaining that his suggestion is purely in his personal capacity and that he is under no pressure from the government.

This clarification was relevant as the suo moto petition taken up based on the allegations of sexual harassment by the Supreme Court on April 20 was a result of the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's — who defended the CJI on behalf of the Centre — insistence. This clearly indicates that while one law officer was coming forward to help the CJI in his hour of crisis, Venugopal should not be seen as someone frustrating the process. Venugopal's letters surfaced on an online news portal, which suggested that the A-G had to clarify owing to the Government not taking kindly to his letter.

However, denying rumours of any rift with the Centre, the A-G said, "Except for the fact that I wrote the letters, what the report states is wholly incorrect." He further said that he had no intention to resign at this stage. Due to his advanced age and recent health problems, the A-G has been keeping unwell. He underwent a major operation recently which kept him away from the Court for a few days.

The letter by the A-G is also being seen in some circles as a sign of no-confidence against the In-House Committee proceeding, which eventually gave a clean chit to the CJI. It comprised three SC judges – Justices SA Bobde, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee, who proceeded ex-parte against the complainant — who withdrew mid-way during the proceedings — and declared her charges of sexual harassment to be unsubstantial.

A-G’S LETTER

A-G KK Venugopal had written a letter to the top five judges, including the CJI, on April 22, requesting that retired judges be made a part of the In-House Committee, which was a panel formed to inquire into the allegations against Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi