Ganguly yields to pressure, quits

Resigns as West Bengal rights panel chief

Justice (retd) A.K. Ganguly after meeting with West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata on Monday . Photo: Sushanta Patronobish.

The former Supreme Court judge Asok Kumar Ganguly, accused by a law intern of sexual harassment, met Governor M.K. Narayanan in Kolkata on Monday and handed over his resignation as chairperson of West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC).

There, however, was no official confirmation from either him or the Raj Bhavan where the meeting took place.

The former Attorney-General, Soli Sorabjee, confirmed that Justice Ganguly had resigned and said, “It is a correct decision.”

Three-member panel He said that after the three-member Supreme Court panel gave a prima facie finding on the intern’s allegation, “I advised him not to continue in the post of Chairperson of West Bengal Human Rights Commission and he has taken the correct decision.”

The development came amid mounting pressure on Justice Ganguly to quit his post, particularly after the Union Cabinet decided on January 2 to make a Presidential Reference to the apex court for his removal.

Earlier in the day, he told

The Hindu that he was “yet to decide” on his resignation.