SC intern harassment
Swatanter wins media blackout: The Delhi HC has provided former SC judge Swatanter Kumar interim relief in the defamation suit he had filed against three media houses. The HC prohibited the media from publishing anything beyond the court’s orders in his ex-intern’s sexual harassment PIL against him, including his photographs [Hindustan Times]
Bar boycott of Swatanter’s NGT: The All India Bar Association has asked its over 10,000 Delhi members to boycott the National Green Tribunal’s Delhi bench until its current head Swatanter Kumar quits the post. Kumar is accused of sexual harassment by his former intern from NUJS Kolkata [PTI]
Judges immune from sex harassment complaints: The Supreme Court was yesterday stuck on the question of absence of mechanism to deal with sexual misconduct cases against its sitting and retired judges, while hearing the ex-intern’s sexual harassment case against Swatanter Kumar. The matter has been posted to 14 February for further hearing [DNA India]
CBI to get more autonomy: CBI on the road to autonomy has gained central government secretary-rank status for its chief and power to approve spending up to Rs 15 crore, as opposed to earlier when it infamously waited 100 days for government approval on a laptop’s purchase and three months for a mobile phone [TOI]
Swatanter Kumar ex-intern PIL admitted: Former SC judge Swatanter Kumar’s ex-intern from NUJS Kolkata who had made sexual harassment allegations against him yesterday moved a petition in the SC for inquiry against him. The intern challenged the SC’s 5 December 2013 full court resolution that it could take no action against Kumar because he was now retired, although he was not at the time of making the allegation.
The intern is supported in her petition by additional solicitor general Indira Jaising, and advocates Kamini Jaiswal, Harish Salve and Vrinda Grover.
The Chief’s court agreed to take up the matter on 15 January [PTI]
NUJS intern sex harassment policy: NUJS Kolkata will, by next month, ready a policy to formally deal with complaints of sexual harassment by its students against anyone they intern with through the university. The law school will also sensitise students on how to deal with any incidence of sexual harassment during internships [Firstpost]
ML Sharma Legally India-CIA link petition dismissed: “ML Sharma [was upset] over @IJaising, @LegallyIndia & @kianganz in CJI's court accusing them of CIA funding for reporting [sexual harassment], Swantantar.” tweeted @JaskiratSB yesterday. Chief Justice of India Sathasivam declined to entertain Sharma’s writ petition, which sought action against the intern, “a website and a national daily” for publishing the “defamatory” allegation, reported the PTI.
LI reporter Prachi Shrivastava argues that, to date, the pillars of the Indian constitution have been remarkably efficient and fair in the investigation and reporting of the sexual harassment allegations against former Supreme Court Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly.
Former Supreme Court Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly, who is also chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC), has quit as honorary professor at NUJS Kolkata, the alma mater of a former intern who accused him of sexual harassment.
Ganguly wrote, according to NDTV: “I voluntarily opt out, don't want to continue as a member of the guest facility and be a burden on NUJS.”
Yesterday the Union Government cabinet cleared the way for a presidential reference to remove Ganguly from his chairmanship of the WBHRC.
Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Altamas Kabir was proposed to become an honorary professor at the college in early December.
The Union cabinet has greenlit the proposed presidential reference to remove West Bengal Human Rights Commission chairman AK Ganguly, for allegedly having sexually harassed an intern.
President Pranab Mukherjee will now be able to take a call on whether the reference to remove Ganguly under the Human Rights Act will proceed, reported IBNLive.
In reaction, Ganguly told PTI: “I don't want to comment now. I need some time to decide. Please give me some time, later on I will let you know.”
Twelve faculty members of NUJS Kolkata, the alma mater of the former student who accused retired Supreme Court judge AK Ganguly of sexual harassment during her internship a year ago, have issued a statement in her support.
The way will soon be clear for the President to ask for an inquiry into sex harassment allegations against the ex-judge. Question is, how, if at all, would it stick under law?
As Goolam Vahanvati will submit a legal opinion by tomorrow on the presidential reference to remove AK Ganguly from the WBHRC, Legally India has seen a copy of the inquiry’s report, which is not confidential anymore.
Nikhil Kanekal explores the media furore and arguments surrounding the swirling #InternJudge sex harassment case that has thrown media, bench and bar into a tizzy.
Those who are accusing the Supreme Court of washing its hands of the allegation that a former apex court judge sexually harassed a former intern (“SJ”), have it wrong.
CJI Sathasivam has released an excerpt of the judicial inquiry report into the #InternJudge sex harassment allegations against retired Justice AK Ganguly, which acknowledged a “prima facie” case.