New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking to restrain the media from publishing allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi by a former Supreme Court employee.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Rajendra Menon dismissed the plea filed by an NGO and said the top court is already seized of the matter and no interference was needed.
“Go to the Supreme Court,” said the bench to NGO Anti Corruption Council of India, which had said publication of allegations against the CJI directly hit the Indian judicial system.
The petition had sought immediate restriction on the media from further telecasting or publishing the allegations till conclusion of the three-judge panel’s inquiry.
The allegations levelled by the former woman employee of the Supreme Court are being inquired into by a three-judge panel of the apex court which held its first proceeding on Friday last.
Besides electronic and print media, the plea had also sought directions for social media platforms.
The petition had arrayed as parties the Ministries of Law and Justice and Information and Broadcasting, the Delhi government, the Press Council of India and the Delhi Police Commissioner.
Directions had been sought for WhatsApp, Google, YouTube and LinkedIn Corporation and news website Scroll.in.
The plea had alleged that it suspects involvement of “anti-national elements” in this act and if publication of these allegations is not restricted, “people will lose faith in the Indian judicial system”, and the “vast damage” caused to the nation and its people would be “irreparable”.
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The move has created an idea of win by the accused and defeat of the complainant in general public.
As such to keep the reputation of the supreme judiciary of the nation let the matter be referred to the Honourable President of India who would form an impartial jury of eminent personalities to thoroughly probe into the matter . It will break the thought of the people that a person of accused has not become judge of itself.
I chose not to read them. What is important is that a credible enquiry process is on.