Quite honestly, this judgment wasn’t unexpected. I am pretty sure that almost everyone was sure that CJI Ranjan Gogoi would come out clear of this controversy, regardless what the truth might be.
But what completely agitated and exasperated me was how Supreme Court, the apex court dealt with the matter.
It is time and again reiterated that nobody is above law but the process of judgment proved otherwise.
The three judge in-house committee which was probing the sexual harassment against the CJI gave clean chit to him, saying that they found “no substance” in the sexual harassment allegations leveled against him.
Something which fuels the air of suspicion regarding this entire proceeding was how there was absolutely no transparency. The committee has made it clear that the report wouldn’t be made public and even the complainant herself is deprived of her right to know what exactly led the committee to believe that there was “no substance” in her allegations.
I am not passing any judgment here that the CJI was indeed the culprit. That’s for law to decide but unfortunately, they took a murky way to prove otherwise. But, I completely resonate with the complainant when she said that the committee denying her the copy of the report is “a travesty of justice.”
The complainant had withdrew after three proceedings after accusing the committee of treating her like an outsider. She was provided with a hostile environment and was denied the copy of her own statements as well. She was even denied to have a lawyer during the proceedings.
All of these information does nothing but create an atmosphere of shadiness over the proceedings and the verdict laid out, thereafter.
A doubt constantly lingers over my head as to why the committee has refused to divulge any details which made them quash the allegations. If CJI Ranjan Gogoi is indeed innocent and there is enough evidence to support him that the in-house committee took just 14 days to shut the case hurriedly, then don’t they think that sharing the process which made them believe the verdict they laid out, would only strengthen his case in front of public and be in the better interest of the esteemed institution? If they actually have such evidence, then don’t they think that sharing the report of the committee would only stop the people pointing fingers towards the apex court of India?
Nobody is above the law? I doubt.
