In a case similar to the one involving Justice AK Ganguly, a young woman lawyer has accused a former Supreme Court judge of sexually harassing her while she was interning with him in May 2011.
Justice Ganguly was found guilty last month by a panel of Supreme Court judges of sexually harassing a lawyer who interned for him at a five-star hotel in Delhi in 2012. He stepped down as Chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission this week amid intense political pressure.
In the latest case, the lawyer, in her complaint to Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam last month, said that she was sexually harassed on three occasions by a sitting judge at his residence. That judge was Justice Swatenter Kumar, Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising told NDTV.
“Since the intern has reposed confidence in me and shared her affidavit, I am aware that it is Justice Swatenter Kumar,” Ms Jaising said.
In her detailed affidavit to Chief Justice Sathasivam, the lawyer, “On one occasion, the judge placed his hand on my lower back. I felt quite uncomfortable and disturbed… he asked me if I would be comfortable travelling with him during the internship, and staying in hotel rooms… I felt extremely awkward and uncomfortable.”
“On 28 May, 2011 he put his right arm around me and kissed me on my left shoulder… On 29 May, I told him I would not be able to continue my internship.”
But the top court reportedly told the young lawyer that it couldn’t act against the judge, as he had already retired. A similar stance adopted by the Supreme Court panel during the Justice Ganguly case had invited much criticism from activists. But unlike in the latest case, Justice Ganguly was not a sitting judge when he allegedly sexual harassed his intern.
“Supreme Court should probe and take action… incident took place at residence of a sitting judge,” Ms Jaising said.
Ms Jaising was among those at the forefront of an aggressive campaign, seeking Justice Ganguly’s removal. She had also made public the statement of the young lawyer to the judges’ panel probing the case.
