New Delhi: In a set back to Justice A.K. Ganguly, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL seeking its direction to stay all proceedings against its former judge, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment.
Later in the day, the Chairman of West Bengal Human Rights Commission, met Governor at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata. Sources say that he may step down from the position.
A bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi dismissed the PIL, saying that it cannot interfere in the issue at this stage and law will take its course in the matter.
"We have gone through every word of your averments and prayers. We are not inclined to go into it. Its too early to say anything about it," the bench said, adding that "let the law take its own course".
The court was hearing a PIL, filed by a woman doctor and Delhi resident M. Padma Narayan Singh, seeking quashing of the complaint on which a three-member panel of apex court judge indicted Justice Ganguly, Chairman of West Bengal Human Rights Commission, for unwelcome behaviour against a law intern.
The petitioner, who is a senior citizen, alleged that Ganguly has become a victim of conspiracy as he, as an arbitrator, had decided a matter between a prominent football club of Kolkata and All India Football Federation (AIFF) in which the intern had also participated. The bench also dismissed another similar PIL filed on the issue.
Justice Ganguly, who had already distanced himself from the petitions, in a recent conversation with former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee had conveyed his intention to resign as chairman of the WBHRC. The former AG told Ganguly that it was a 'wise decision'.
A three-judge Supreme Court panel had indicted Justice Ganguly by holding that the statement of the intern, both written and oral, had prima facie disclosed 'an act of unwelcome behaviour (unwelcome verbal/non-verbal conduct of sexual nature)' by the judge with her in the Le Meridien hotel room on December 24 last year.
Justice Ganguly has denied the allegations of the law intern and blamed 'powerful interests' of trying to tarnish his image due to certain judgements delivered by him.
In a letter to Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam last month, Justice Ganguly said he had neither harassed the law intern nor made any unwelcome advances towards her or any other female intern.
