Former Supreme Court judge AK Ganguly, indicted in sexual harassment case
Demands for the resignation of former Supreme Court judge AK Ganguly, indicted in a sexual harassment case, were raised strongly in Parliament today as several MPs raised slogans of 'we want justice" in the Lok Sabha.
Making a reference to the outrage after the Delhi gang-rape, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj said Justice Ganguly should immediately resign or be sacked as Chairperson of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission after being indicted by a Supreme Court panel of "unwanted conduct of a sexual nature."
"It is unfortunate that even after the strong laws framed after the Nirbhaya case, incidents like this happen. The higher a person's post, the bigger is his crime and the punishment should be tougher. His status should not be a shield against punishment," Ms Swaraj said.
The allegations against Justice Ganguly surfaced last month when a young lawyer blogged that she had been sexually harassed by a judge she had interned for, at a hotel in Delhi. She did not name him.
A panel of three Supreme Court judges said last Thursday that the allegations appeared to be true, but no action could be taken as Justice Ganguly had retired before the incident. The lack of punishment has dismayed many activists and lawyers.
Mr Swaraj said the former judge had violated a sacred relationship based on trust. "This should be an example to all, that no matter how senior, no one will be spared for even the smallest crime, otherwise incidents of sexual harassment will not stop," she said.
Despite protests by the BJP, Trinamool and several other parties, Justice Ganguly has refused to quit and earlier this week, former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee came out in his support.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written twice to President Pranab Mukherjee to step in and sack the former judge, who has often mocked her Trinamool Congress party.
Justice Ganguly has reportedly not attended office since his indictment by the judges panel.