SC Seeks Response From Advocate Who Alleged Conspiracy in Sexual Harassment Case Against CJI

Bains on Monday filed an affidavit in the top court saying there was a larger 'conspiracy' playing out to compel the CJI to resign.

New Delhi: After the sexual harassment allegations against the Chief Justice cropped up, the Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from advocate Utsav Bains, who had claimed that there is a conspiracy to frame Ranjan Gogoi. Further, the bench posted the matter for hearing on April 24.

Bains on Monday filed an affidavit in the top court saying there was a larger ‘conspiracy’ playing out to compel the CJI to resign. Further, the bench also sought the presence of the advocate Utsav Bains before it on April 24.

Allegations of sexual harassment had cropped up against the CJI on April 20 prompting Ranjan Gogoi to convene an urgent extraordinary hearing in which he asserted that the charges by a former apex court staffer were “unbelievable” and part of a conspiracy by some “bigger force” to “deactivate” the CJI’s office. As the allegations by the former woman staffer who had worked at Justice Gogoi’s home office in Delhi and dating back to October stunned the judiciary, the CJI had said he would not stoop too low, even to deny them.

On Monday, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) held that the unprecedented hearing by a three-judge bench following sexual harassment allegations against the CJI was a “violation of the procedure established by law”. “The executive committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association in its emergent meeting has resolved that procedure adopted for conducting the court proceedings on April 20 in the matter of allegations made by ex-employee of the Supreme Court against the Chief Justice of India is in violation of procedure established by law as well as principles of natural justice,” SCBA Secretary Vikrant Yadav said.