Former Supreme Court judge Justice A.K. Ganguly, who quit as Chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission, on Wednesday attacked the Supreme Court over the inquiry by its three-judge panel into the sexual assault allegations against him, saying he was “very badly and unfairly” treated.
Claiming that he quit in “disgust”, the 66-year-old former Supreme Court judge also said he would prefer jail to filing a defamation case against the law intern who levelled the sexual harassment allegation, as she was his student.
“I will never do anything against someone who was my student. I would rather go to jail,” Justice Ganguly told reporters when asked whether he would file a defamation case against the intern.
Justice Ganguly, who quit in the wake of mounting pressure after he was indicted by a three-member panel of judges of the Supreme Court, denied any wrong doing and alleged he was not given a fair chance by the apex court.
“I have been very badly and unfairly treated by the Supreme Court. I was not given a fair chance by the Supreme Court panel,” he told a television channel.
Stating that Supreme Court jurisdiction doesn’t apply on a retired judge, he also questioned the appointment of the panel.
“The intern never complained to the SC, then why was a panel formed? I appeared before the court in good faith. The Supreme Court panel acted without jurisdiction and basis against me. I am questioning the role of my fellow judges in the Supreme Court,” he added.
On the panel’s observation which had found ‘unwelcome behaviour’ on his part, Justice Ganguly shot back, “Unwelcome to whom?
“I did not force her to stay with me. Neither had I forced her to drink wine. Can I force if one is not willing to take it? If she did not like, she could have left before dinner also.”
The panel had held 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 in Delhi on December 24, 2012.
