New Delhi: Protesters on Monday gathered outside the Supreme Court complex demanding an independent probe into the sexual harassment allegation raised against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
None of the apex court judges have initiated hearings in their respective courtrooms, which is unusual as the top court is in session by 10.30 a.m. usually.
The CJI had on Saturday rubbished the allegation of sexual harassment against him, saying there was a "larger conspiracy" to destabilize the independence of the judiciary, which, he said, is "under very serious threat"
After the allegation levelled by a former employee of the Supreme Court was reported by a section of the media, a three-member bench of the apex court, headed by the Chief Justice and including Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Sanjeev Khanna, held an urgent hearing this morning -- a holiday -- over the matter.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had on Sunday attacked the "institutional destabilizers" saying that their lending shoulder to "completely unverified allegations" was destabilising the institution of the Chief Justice of India and said that if those peddling "falsehood" were not dealt with in an exemplary manner, the trend will only accelerate.
In a blog post, a day after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Jaitley said the incident of a junior ex-lady employee of the Supreme Court making harassment charges has "acquired a disproportionate magnitude".
"Such complaints, when they are made in the ordinary course of any administrative functioning, are referred to the appropriate committee. However, when the complainant distributes copies of her representation to other judges of the Supreme Court and the media in order to sensationalise her allegations, it ceases to be routine.
"When four digital media organisations with an unparalleled track record of 'institutional disruption' send similar questionnaires to the Chief Justice of India, there is obviously something more than what meets the eye," he said.
In the blog 'It's Time to Stand up With the Judiciary', Jaitley said India has always taken pride in its independent judiciary.
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