NEW DELHI: Retired Supreme Court judge AK Ganguly, who is accused of sexually harassing a law intern, said that he won’t quit the post of chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission.
Justice Ganguly said that he had explained everything to the Supreme Court Committee, adding ‘I will not resign and step down from the post of.’
Additional solicitor general Indira Jaising made public the law intern’s affidavit detailing the sequence of the events which she submitted to the three-judge committee, which indicted Ganguly, finding him guilty of unwelcome behaviour towards the intern.
Ganguly also question Indira Jaising’s move to make the law intern’s confidential statement public.
An enraged Ganguly was quoted as saying: ‘That is supposed to be confidential as it was given before a Supreme Court committee. How can it come out in the open?’
The intern in her statement said that the retired judge repeatedly told her that he loved her and then followed her into the hotel lift urging her not to leave.
The Indian Express today published excepts of the victim’s affidavit. The report quotes the intern saying that the judge asked her to stay at the hotel and work all night, which the intern declined.
She further said that the judge ignored her requests, and asked her to relax in his room while drinking some wine.
The intern in affidavit said: ‘He caught hold of my arm, saying, ‘You know that I am attracted to you, don’t you? You must be thinking, what, this old man is getting drunk and saying such things. But I really like you, I love you.’ When I tried to move away, he kissed my arm and repeated that he loved me.’
She also said that the judge followed her into the elevator, saying ‘Please don’t go’, ‘Did I make you uncomfortable?’, ‘Please don’t leave me, I need your help right now.’
Meanwhile, Law Minister Kapil Sibal said Ganguly should voluntary submit his resignation from the post of chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission.
“In the light of the latest revelation by the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) published in a national daily, I think it’s time for Justice Ganguly to voluntarily submit his resignation,” Sibal said.
Sibal also said that the apex court should look into the matter against the judge.
“We hope that the Supreme Court takes action in the case of Justice A.K. Ganguly in the same way as it takes against a normal man when the security of women is in question,” Sibal told reporters outside parliament.
“So, I hope the court will take action no matter who it is, whether he is a retired judge of the court,” the law minister added.
Asked if the government would intervene in the matter, Sibal said: “There is a procedure under the Protection of Human Rights Act under which a person holding the position of chairman can be removed for misbehaviour and incapacity to continue in that position.”
If justice Ganguly does not resign, the government might take the position and decide.
“This must be taken to a logical conclusion. Resignation from the post is one thing but we would wait, as there is a petition from the ASG pending in the apex court. We will see what Supreme Court does about that because that is the thing which should enable us to unravel what happened,” he said.
