Former Supreme Court judge AK Ganguly, indicted in sexual harassment case
Former Supreme Court judge AK Ganguly, facing protests after being indicted for sexually harassing a young intern, today said he would not resign as the Chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission.
Justice Ganguly, 66, has reportedly not attended office since Thursday last, when a panel of three Supreme Court judges said there was evidence of "unwanted conduct of a sexual nature" by him.
Earlier today, he told reporters angrily, "I will not answer any question of yours. I will do
whatever I have to."
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has come out in his support, saying, "I have full faith in him. If there is proof, the country will punish him. Only after proof." He also raised questions on the Supreme Court panel's "overzealous" action. (
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Mr Chatterjee was the keynote speaker at an event hosted by Justice Ganguly on Tuesday evening in Kolkata to mark the World Human Rights Day.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has asked President Pranab Mukherjee to sack the former judge, rejected an invitation to be the chief guest at this programme.
Trinamool's Derek O'Brien tweeted this morning, "It would be apt if Justice Ganguly chose the UN Human Rights Day to step down & cleanse his office. Violators can't be guardians."
The allegations against Justice Ganguly surfaced in a blog last month by a young lawyer, who did not name him, but said she had been sexually harassed by the judge she was interning for at a five-star hotel in Delhi last December.
The Chief Justice of India, P Sathasivam, said no action could be taken against Justice Ganguly as he had retired before the alleged incident, a statement which provoked criticism from activists, lawyers and political parties. Two of the country's most famous lawyers - union minister Kapil Sibal and BJP leader Arun Jaitley - spoke in tandem as they called the Supreme Court's response glaringly inadequate.