*NEW DELHI – India’s top judge fought off a sexual harassment stormSaturday after a former Supreme Court staff member accused him of makingunwanted advances and hounding her. *
Chief justice Ranjan Gogoi said the accusations made by a 35-year-oldformer court assistant were “unbelievable” and an attempt to stop himhearing important cases.
Saying judicial independence was at stake, Gogoi, 64, called a specialsession of the apex court after the woman wrote to 22 Supreme Court judgeson Friday, alleging he twice made sexual advances in the office of hisofficial residence in October last year.
“He hugged me around the waist, and touched me all over my body with hisarms and by pressing his body against mine, and did not let go,” she wrotein an affidavit seen by AFP.
“He told me ‘hold me’, he did not let go of me despite the fact that Ifroze and tried to get out of his embrace by stiffening and moving my bodyaway,” the document added.
The woman claimed she was dismissed from her job and her family had beenharassed after she rebuffed Gogoi’s advances.
She also said she was summoned by Gogoi’s wife who asked her to prostrateherself and rub her nose at her feet to seek forgiveness.
*Reputation at stake *
“I have taken this unusual and extraordinary step of sitting in court todaybecause things have gone too far,” Gogoi said.
“This is unbelievable. I don’t think I should stoop low even to deny theseallegations… there has to be a bigger force behind this.”
The chief justice, who is to retire in November after a year as chiefjustice, said he was scheduled to hear many sensitive cases in coming daysand that he would continue his work “without any fear”.
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“Why do you think a person decides to become a judge? Reputation is allthat matters for a judge. If that is also under attack, what is left?”
Gogoi said the woman had a criminal background and that the media must actresponsibly on reporting the allegations.
A New Delhi court is to hear a police application on Wednesday to cancelbail for the woman in a separate criminal investigation.
The woman, a married mother of one, has called on the Supreme Court to setup a “special inquiry committee” to look into her accusations.
The #MeToo movement has touched several Bollywood directors, actors andmedia figures accused of sexual harassment.
A junior foreign minister was forced to resign last year after severalwomen accused him of harassment.
The Supreme Court, one of India’s most respected institutions, has 25judges appointed by the president, including the chief justice.
The court often rules on key policy matters and orders measures taken inpublic interest.
The latest allegations set Twitter abuzz Saturday with a leading women’srights activist, Kavita Krishnan, saying the judiciary must come clean onthe “extremely serious” charges. – APP/AFP
