Utsav Bains was told by the Supreme Court to explain his affidavit and clarify his claim
Highlights
- Lawyer Utsav Bains submit "proof" to Supreme Court in sealed cover
- He sought a probe monitored by Supreme Court
- Mr Bains said "fixers" involved in trying to discredit Chief Justice
The joint director of the CBI, the director of the Intelligence Bureau and the chief of Delhi Police met three Supreme Court judges in their chamber after Utsav Bains, a lawyer who claimed there was a conspiracy to frame Chief Justice India Ranjan Gogoi on sex harassment allegations, submitted proof to the top court in a sealed cover today.
Chief Justice Gogoi has strongly denied the allegations by a former Supreme Court employee and said the independence of the judiciary is "under threat" and it "cannot be made a scapegoat".
The court will resume hearing the matter again at 3 pm today.
The top court, in a hearing on Tuesday, had served notice to Mr Bains and told him to explain his affidavit today and clarify his claim that he knew the chain of events and would submit names of those involved in a sealed cover.
When the Supreme Court today recommended a special investigation team that will work under it to probe Mr Bains' allegations that "fixers" were involved, the lawyer raised concern that "CBI has been used as a tool".
"There must be judicial probe. It points out to a larger conspiracy. We have seen how CBI is used as a tool. Sensitive evidence must be collected by judicial officers because the police are under the state. Only judicial probe is requested," Mr Bains said. "I have a CCTV footage, which is real evidence. I am submitting this in court. The accused-mastermind is very powerful," he added.
The court ordered continued police protection to Mr Bains.
"Very serious issue of independence of judiciary. If this is true really, one is the episode involving Tapan Chakraborty. No CJI had the courage to take a decision and only the present CJI took it and it happened for the first time. He wants to cleanse the system without any fear," the Supreme Court said.
Tapan Chakraborty, a former top court employee, was arrested earlier this month by Delhi Police for posting wrong information on the court's website that the personal appearance of industrialist Anil Ambani was not needed in the over Rs 400 crore Ericsson dues case, which has now been settled.
The Chief Justice has said the allegations had surfaced because he was to hear important cases in the Supreme Court in the coming days. "I will sit on this chair and discharge my judicial functions without any fear... Things have gone too far," he said. He also said the woman who made the allegations against him has a criminal background and faces two police cases.