"Dejected, Terrified," Says Woman After Court Panel Clears Chief Justice

The woman who accused Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment, on Monday said she was "highly disappointed and dejected" to learn that he was cleared by the three-member Supreme Court panel that was looking into the matter. She also said she was "extremely scared and terrified" and she and her family members "remain vulnerable to the ongoing reprisals and attack".

"I am at the verge of losing faith in the capacity of our system to deliver justice to the weak and vulnerable who are pitted against the powerful within the system itself," read a statement from the woman, who pulled out of the hearings last week, contending that she would not get justice from the panel.

After she pulled out, the panel - comprising Justice SA Bobde, Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Indu Malhotra -- continued the hearings. On Wednesday, the Chief Justice had appeared before it.

In her statement, the complainant said while Justice Gogoi appeared before the panel, she was unaware whether "any of the other persons named in my complaint who would have knowledge of matters mentioned in the complaint, especially my victimisation, were called by the committee for their evidence".

The Committee, she said, has announced that she would not be provided a copy of the Report, "so I have no way of comprehending the reasons and basis for the summary dismissal of my Complaint of sexual harassment and victimisation".

She also cited the hearing by a three-judge bench on April 20, saying she was "wrongly condemned" and "accusations were made upon my character and my truthfulness in my absence".

In the hearing, Justice Gogoi had denied the woman's allegations, saying he was being targeted as he is slated to hear several important cases. "There has to be bigger force behind this, they want to deactivate office of Chief Justice" he said, adding the independence of the judiciary is "under threat".

Last week, the woman had withdrawn from the case, saying she felt that she is "not likely to get justice from this committee". In a letter, she also said she found the "atmosphere of the committee very frightening" and that she felt "very nervous" as she was not allowed to have her counsel with her or discuss the proceedings with her.