New Delhi: A group of lawyers and activists, mostly women, protested outside the Supreme Court Tuesday, questioning the clean chit given to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi in a sexual harassment case a day before, and demanded his resignation.
Police detained 55 protesters and also a few journalists, who were covering the agitation, and took them to Mandir Marg police station as it is not allowed to stage any kind of demonstration outside the Supreme Court. Some of the protesters raised ‘azadi‘ slogans at the police station.
All the journalists and the protesters have now been released.
Security in and around the Supreme Court has been tightened to prevent any further protests.
Also read: Our lawyers prevented a suicide: Husband recounts what complainant in CJI Gogoi case faced
‘Fair hearing not given to complainant’
Historian Uma Chakraborty, who has been actively involved in framing a sexual harassment policy in Delhi University, said it was outrageous that the country’s top court was not following the due process.
“On top of it, they’ve decided to let it be a confidential report. It is outrageous,” she said.
Esther, who goes by one name and works with a Delhi-based NGO, said: “If the people who have turned up today isn’t testimony to what’s happening, I don’t know what is?”
She added that the #MeToo movement has reached the highest court.
While the protests saw participation of very few men, a professor from Ashoka University, requesting anonymity, said he was disappointed that a fair hearing was not given to the woman complainant.
Accompanying him, Vikas from Tamil Nadu, who works in Delhi, said, “It is ironical that the CJI, who was among the four judges who had held a press conference last year, hasn’t followed the due process. The hypocrisy is glaring.”
Protest spilled over to Twitter
While the number of protesters outside the Supreme Court was less, several women took to Twitter to voice their anger. Some protesters posted pictures of the demonstration with the hashtag #SupremeInjustice.
Several protests were being organised in other parts of the country as well to express solidarity with the woman complainant, who, according to several women’s groups, did not get a fair hearing in the matter.
The complainant Monday said she was “shattered” after an in-house panel cleared the CJI of all charges. Last week, the complainant had refused to participate in the inquiry after she found “the atmosphere of the committee very frightening”.
Also read: CJI Gogoi sexual harassment case: What can SC do to regain credibility after latest crisis?
The In-house panel of three SC Judges was looking into the allegations of sexual harassment by a former female employee of the Supreme Court against CJI , Justice Ranjan Gogoi. The panel of Judges announced its opinion on 6 May 2019 , giving clean chit to Justice Ranjan Gogoi by concluding that there was no substance in the allegations. Some women lawyers and activists reportedly protested the following day outside the Supreme Court on 7 May , 2019 against the clean chit. Already , allegation of conspiracy to frame the CJI and fixing of cases were brought before the SC by a lawyer , Utsav Singh Bains. Retired Judge of SC , Justice A.K.Patnaik , was appointed some days past , to probe the said allegations of conspiracy. These details of the matter appear to have brought judiciary or justice delivery system to the focus. In this context , it may be apt to mention this Vedic astrology writer’s prediction in article – “ The Year 2019 Astrologically for India” – published last year on 7 October , 2018 at theindiapost.com. While covering the period February -March and around in present year 2019 , the following prediction was made :-
“ All that is associated with the sovereign power of the State appears to be on the centre –stage. Justice delivery system or judiciary may also be in the focus.” https://www.theindiapost.com/headline/the-year-2019-astrologically-for-india/
Yeh protest bilkul jayez hai.