Supreme Court denies report that 2 judges met probe panel member in CJI case

The Supreme Court denied on Sunday a media report that said justices RF Nariman and DY Chandrachud met Justice SA Bobde who is heading an in-house committee inquiring into the sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.

A statement from the apex court said “this is wholly incorrect” that the two judges met justice Bobde on Friday evening.

The statement, which has been issued from the office of the Supreme Court’s secretary general, said that it is most unfortunate that a leading newspaper chose to state that the two judges met Justice Bobde.

Further the statement said that the in-house committee which is deliberating on the issue concerning the CJI deliberates on its own without any input from any other judge of the apex court.

A report in a leading newspaper Sunday stated that justices Nariman and Chandrachud had met Justice Bobde and had expressed their view that the three-member committee should not go ahead with the proceeding ex parte.

The former woman employee of the apex court, who has levelled the sexual harassment allegations, has opted herself out from participating in the enquiry raising several grievances, including the denial of permission to have her lawyer during the proceedings.

The newspaper has stated that justices Nariman and Chandrachud had suggested for appointment of an advocate as an amicus curie for assisting the in-house committee.

Besides Justice Bobde, other members in the committee are two women judges of the apex court -- justices Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)