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Sexual harassment allegations against CJI: SC summons chiefs of CBI, IB after lawyer submits 'proof of conspiracy'

A three-judge bench headed by CJI on Saturday had held an unprecedented hearing in the wake of allegations made against Justice Gogoi.

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday summoned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director, chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Commissioner of Delhi Police to discuss the content of a report filed by an advocate who claimed a larger conspiracy to frame Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on allegations of sexual harassment.

Utsav Singh Bains submitted in a sealed envelope a report to back his claims of conspiracy. The court perused the report of the lawyer about allegations that there are some who manage verdicts. The matter is being heard a three-judge special bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra. 

"I have a CCTV footage, which is real evidence. I am submitting this in Court. The accused- mastermind is very powerful," Bains said as he submitted the evidence.

On seeing the content of the affidavit, Justice Mishra asked Attorney General KK Venugopal to call Director of the CBI to his chamber. 

"Can you call to our chamber the Director of CBI?" Justice Mishra asked the Attorney General.

The bench said it was concerned about contents of affidavit and wanted to meet Director of CBI, Police Commissioner of Delhi, and Director of Intelligence Bureau. 

The bench said it will meet the CBI and IB directors and the Delhi Police commissioner in "secret". 

"It is not an enquiry. We are meeting these officers in secret. We don't want any evidence to be disclosed," the bench also comprising justices R F Nariman and Deepak Gupta said.

The matter relates to the independence of the judiciary in the country, the bench said.

Mishra termed the entire episode as "very disturbing".

It directed that the officers will meet the judges in chamber at 12:30 pm and the bench will reassemble to hear the matter again at 3 pm. 

On Tuesday, Justice SA Bobde, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, was appointed to conduct an in-house inquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against CJI Gogoi. 

He said being the number two judge, the Chief Justice of India has appointed him to look into the allegations of sexual harassment charges levelled by a former woman staff.

A three-judge bench headed by CJI on Saturday had held an unprecedented hearing in the wake of allegations made against Justice Gogoi.

Describing the allegations of sexual harassment against him as "unbelievable", the CJI had convened the extraordinary hearing at the Supreme Court during which he said a larger conspiracy was behind it and he would not stoop so low even to deny these allegations. 

Justice Gogoi had said some "bigger force" wanted to "deactivate" the office of the CJI.

After the Saturday's hearing, some lawyers body and jurists had criticised the CJI for constituting the bench comprising him, though he had recused himself in the middle of the hearing leaving it for justices Arun Mishra and Sanjiv Khanna to pass the order.

On Tuesday, the CJI set up a fresh bench comprising justices Mishra, RF Nariman and Deepak Gupta to adjudicate the matter relating to sexual harassment levelled against him. 

The former woman apex court staffer had levelled the allegations against the CJI which was brought into public domain by some news web portals on April 20.

The woman had worked at Justice Gogoi's home office in Delhi and the allegations were carried by these news portals based on the affidavit by the woman.

On Saturday, the apex court had said it is leaving it to the "wisdom of media" to show restraint and act responsibly so that independence of judiciary is not affected. The court, however, decided not to issue any gag order.

In her affidavit, the woman described two incidents of alleged molestation, days after Justice Gogoi was appointed CJI last October and her subsequent persecution.

The woman alleged that she was removed from service after she rebuffed his "sexual advances". She claimed that her husband and brother-in-law, both of whom were head constables, were suspended for a 2012 criminal case that had been mutually resolved. 

(With PTI inputs) 

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