Chief Justice court to sit after the hearing of harassment allegations against Gogoi

The Supreme Court cause list for the Chief Justice court, on Wednesday, showed that the bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sajeev Khanna would assemble and start hearing cases listed before it only after the sexual harassment case against Gogoi is heard for the day in court room no. 4.

In court room no. 4, a special bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, R. F. Nariman, and Deepak Gupta will hear allegations against Gogoi.

The new bench, set up on Tuesday, issued notice to Advocate Utsav Bains who has alleged that he was asked to 'frame' the CJI. The matter will be taken up for hearing on Wednesday. It also asked Bains to explain and clarify his claim that he knew the chain of events that led to charges of sexual harassment against Gogoi. Bains claims he was offered Rs. 1.5 crore to “frame” Justice Gogoi.

Bains also expressed fear for his life and said "the Deponent is aware that his life will come under imminent danger after filing of this affidavit.”

Following the said submissions, the special bench directed Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to provide protection to Bains and also directed police officials to assure his physical presence at 10:30 am today.

Last week, Gogoi had convened an “extraordinary” sitting after reports emerged about the sexual harassment charges against him.

The allegations by a woman, who had worked at Justice Gogoi’s home office in Delhi, date back to October last year.

When the matter was first heard on Saturday, the bench comprised Gogoi and Justices Arun Mishra and Sanjiv Khanna. But the fact that Gogoi had sat on the bench in a case which personally interested him, had led to strong objections from various quarters.

The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association expressed its reservations relating to the suo moto proceedings carried out by CJI Gogoi and termed it “procedural impropriety.” The association, in its resolution, also said that the allegations ought to be dealt with as per the procedure established by the law which should be uniform for everyone. It had, therefore, called for a Full Court probe into the allegations.

The Supreme Court Employees Welfare Association, however, has came out in support of the CJI and said it “strongly condemns the false, fabricated and baseless allegations” against Gogoi.