Book Launch: Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi's autobiography 'Justice for the Judge' [LIVE UPDATES]

The autobiography of former Chief Justice of India (CJI) and sitting Member of Parliament, Ranjan Gogoi is set to be released today. The book launch function will take place at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library of Teen Murti Bhavan, New Delhi at 6 pm. The book will be released by another former CJI, SA Bobde who was the successor of Justice Gogoi to the country's top judicial post. The release will be followed by a conversation between Justice Gogoi and India Today News Director, Rahul Kanwal.Live Updates from the event below. .Former CJI SA Bobde, Former Law Minister RS Prasad present..Supreme Court Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul seen with other judges here.The guests for the evening take a seat on the dais..Editor Rupa Publications: Unfortunately, it is easy to express your critique when you are on the other side. I didn't know the power of Bar & Bench and other portals but now I see that. .The book has been officially released now..Former CJI SA Bobde: I thank all of you to be here. I think I can say now, Hello to my friend Former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad..Former CJI SA Bobde: I am sure parts of it is written with pen of iron and nib of diamond. Autobiography means a person has lived his life to the fullest..Former CJI SA Bobde: Some events are engraved in the heart of man, and certainly that too of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. He is a reluctant man of destiny..Former CJI SA Bobde: Justice Gogoi's brother once said that since childhood showed indication that he would tread on the right path. He ensured that no rules are broken in the games. His brother said as a lawyer he never took up a false case..Former CJI SA Bobde: Colleagues tell me you are hardworking and sincere.. you prepare cases so well that you ask uncomfortable questions before dismissing a plea..Former CJI SA Bobde: Justice Gogoi's fathers law minister had asked if Justice Gogoi will become a Chief Minister but he said, No and maybe he will become the CJI one day. But I still don't know if Justice Gogoi wanted to be CJI at all That's why I called him reluctant man of destiny..Former CJI SA Bobde: He told me that happiest one is who retires as High Court Judge, the second happiest is the Chief of High Court and then is one who is elevated to Supreme Court. The worst is the one who retires as CJI..Justice Gogoi listens on.....Former CJI SA Bobde: Chief, I don't know if you and I are the only ones who did it... There is really short tenure of Chief Justices on administrative side. Someone may say sooner the better, but tenures have to be longer for CJI..Former CJI SA Bobde: We know that people who have no idea about this side of affairs feel free to criticize us. We have faced our share of criticisms..Former CJI SA Bobde: Men love in haste but detest in leisure. So, it's not unusual what we do in public life engages malicious attention again and again. I am sure a lot of misgivings people had will be dispelled after the autobiography is read and released. .Former CJI SA Bobde: Chief I have seen you unfazed at nonsense which was written day in and day out..Former CJI SA Bobde: Na sir jhuka ke jeete, na sir chhupa ke jeeye... Ab ek raat kam hui toh theek, ab yeh bus hai ki mashal jala ke jeeye..Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi: Welcome present and past Supreme Court judges, Gautam Adani and family, CM of Manipur... Thank you all for coming..Former CJI Gogoi: After such long tenure of judicial service, retirement was difficult. I moved from active life to active retire life. I have been working on this book for year and a half..Former CJI Gogoi: I have been working on this book in the past year and a half. This book shows how your ideas of world shaped under the protective umbrella of our elders and then taking mandate as elders being impressionable on the younger ones..Former CJI Gogoi: It's introspection than anything else can enrich us. People with deep introspection is admirable. They invest thoughts over positive outcomes..Former CJI Gogoi: What I have penned here is a reflection of my memory. This is my journey from a village in Dibrugarh to being a judge in the Supreme Court of India. I have kept the narration factual without keeping much space for justifications..Former CJI Gogoi: I have taken decisions which did not adhere to institutional norms. Conversation around public offices were mostly based on speculations. If one is in public office it's difficult to understand the institutional interest such high office safeguards..Former CJI Gogoi: Interwoven in the narrative also includes a journey of a first generation independent man and it envisions the vision of an independent nation. We grew up with profound duty towards nation building..Former CJI Gogoi: I take great satisfaction in doing justice to my role in constitutional institutions. Perhaps the narrative give a closure to some issues and perhaps be a beginning for something else..Former CJI Gogoi: I will be happy if my collection of memories trigger conversations..A discussion to now begin with Rahul Kanwal: He told me, ask me what you want and I have nothing to hide..Kanwal: Would it be fair to say you are India's most judged judge? Former CJI Gogoi: Yes, I am open to everything. (mic falls) Former CJI Gogoi: Mic falling should not be an indicator..Kanwal: You said there was a divine intervention in Ayodhya case. Former CJI Gogoi: I did not resurrect Ayodhya. It is a responsibility my predecessor gave to me and allotted a date. I have two options to run or to fight. CJI Bobde said I come from a family of warriors, I fought..Former CJI Gogoi: I don't sleep well at night and my mind keeps churning. How do you sleep that within 3 months of commencement of hearing, you have to complete discussion with brother judges and pronounce it?.Former CJI Gogoi: I constituted the Bench for Ayodhya case and it was my job to finish it. It was my commitment. How do I sleep then?.Kanwal: There were reports that Supreme Court did not give importance to human rights cases, and Kashmir issue when Ayodhya hearing was on. Former CJI Gogoi: I allocated the Kashmir cases to an alternate bench since Ayodhya was from August 6. I didn't let the Kashmir case hibernate..Former CJI Gogoi: Media says CJI has no time for human rights cases what they don't say that CJI allocated the case to an alternate bench. Kanwal: But why were the cases not heard more expeditiously?.Former CJI Gogoi: I cannot interfere in a Judge's day to day functioning. They are judges of the Supreme Court and they have to be given respect. We cannot monitor performance of brother judges. On expeditious, I cannot answer because it will be speculative..Former CJI Gogoi: As judiciary does not like interference, the Judges too did not like interference by the Chief Justice. .Kanwal: You speak in detail about sexual harassment charges. It was said that due to charge government was able to ensure that CJI could not pass negative comments..Former CJI Gogoi: I belong to warrior class. In Chandigarh, I fought death and I was in 39 days in ICU. After this, you think someone has the guts to tell me what to do..Kanwal: When the sexual harassment charge was levelled, you stayed in Bench. In hindsight do you think it was a mistake?Former CJI Gogoi: In hindsight, I should not have been a Judge in the Bench. But, what do you do if your reputation as an upcoming anchor is destroyed?.Former CJI Gogoi: 45 years of my hard work in Bar and Bench was being spoiled. Then people say Article 32 was being filed to ask me to step down till enquiry. What was the order passed? Does it give me a clean chit? No. No. No.It might have been better If I was not part of the Bench. We all make mistakes. No harm in accepting it..Kanwal questions on the in-house proceeding report which was not made public and that committee did not have an outsider. Former CJI Gogoi: We all talk about independence of judiciary and for it to be independent, Judges must be independent. In-house process has been on since 1970s..Former CJI Gogoi: Any Tom Dick and Harry making a complaint does not get it investigated. It's only at the discretion of the Full Court. It's laid down by judgment. In-house proceeding is not toothless. If found guilty, they step down and president approves impeachment..Former CJI Gogoi: An additional registrar is part of internal complaints committee. But I put my neck out and gave the noose of former CJI Bobde. He would have been happy to hang me and get extra 7 months of extra tenure. What are you talking about?.Former CJI Gogoi: The additional registrar would have decided in my favour in 24 hours. But in-house committee has been there from last 20 years..Kanwal asks how the lady who levelled sexual harassment charges got reinstated..Former CJI Gogoi: The lady got reinstated during my tenure. She wrote a letter to Justice Bobde seeking appointment on humanitarian grounds. He asked me, and I said deal with it. Justice Bobde reinstated her with compassion. He reinstated two other employees..Former CJI Gogoi: Two officers I terminated who committed fraud with orders of Anil Ambani related case. Justice Bobde reinstated them. I never spoke about conspiracy. You are putting words in my mouth. Orders said that..Kanwal: Let's talk about the dramatic press conference? Former CJI Gogoi: Oh, yes do you want some water? Kanwal: Do you? Former CJI Gogoi: Only if you do..Former CJI Gogoi: I thought in the conference we will meet Mr. X, Mr. Y, Mr. Z and other press lounge reporters. But, when we went to Justice Chelameshwar's house we saw something else, but then we wanted to address the press..Former CJI Gogoi: We had to call the PC that we were unable to persuade the then CJI Dipak Misra regarding allocation of cases to Bench. I hope it was the first and last occasion that Judges had to address the press..Former CJI Gogoi: I was least convinced that democracy was in peril, similarly I am least convinced about the Rajya Sabha seat offered to me as quid pro quo for the ayodhya judgment. These are all made up by media and newspapers..Kanwal asks about executive interference in judiciary. Former CJI Gogoi: NIL. Who would dare come and ask Ranjan Gogoi to do something? Tushar... Will you? Solicitor General Tushar Mehta laughs. Former CJI Gogoi: No interference at all..Former CJI Gogoi: I was given a special hotline to Prime Minister and Law Minister, but I threw it. Executive interference is possible to be made in hundred different ways and it depends upon the incumbent. I didn't even the PM even once..Former CJI Gogoi: I had received one call with voice of a person of Mr. Modi. He said he is the Prime Minister. I did not speak. I asked the intelligence bureau, they said it was a fake call by a person impersonating his voice. Now, is it a sin to meet the law minister?.Former CJI Gogoi: I don't believe that Judges should only meet Judges. I met Ravi Shankar Prasad, my friend, not the law minister..Kanwal asks about the Prime Minister Modi's private dinner in Supreme Court just before Rafale judgment, "People said daal mein kuch kaaala hai.".Former CJI Gogoi: Daal toh kaala hi hota hai. Nahi toh kya daal hai. (Daal is black only, otherwise what Dal?)He came on November 26 on Constitution Day. I don't think anything wrong with it. They were judges who took selfies with the Prime Minister. They are the activist judges now..Kanwal asks about Rajya Sabha nomination. Former CJI Gogoi: What would you have me accept, governorship? Or chairman of NHRC. Financially, I would have been better. I have not taken a penny from Rajya Sabha and not even the amount that is due to me to engage office help. I am paying that too..Former CJI Gogoi: Mary Kom, Narender Yadav and myself, we are the only ones who did not join a political party out of the 12 nominated ones. I continue to maintain my independence, thus maintaining my line to express my view for or against the government..Gogoi on his feeling that he should not have been part of the Bench in sexual harassment case: You cannot cow me down with shouting. This does not scare Ranjan Gogoi. I will not bow down to unconstitutional, if not extra constitutional, noises..Former CJI Gogoi refers to how present Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sharma, is an expert in Income Tax Law. .Former CJI Gogoi: Tarun Gogoi asked for judicial favour. But, why speak about him, he is no more.. Requested my mother to meet him, spending her pension taking a flight. And Chief Minister asked her to speak to me to give judgement in his favour... She told me after the judgement..Former CJI Gogoi: Executive interference in judicial functioning is not everyday matter. It's all perceptions..On National Register of Citizens.Former CJI Gogoi: Who said government wanted NRC hastily? What was correct was not said, and what's not correct was said. NRC is an constitutional obligation and we had to do it..On Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.Former CJI Gogoi: The demand to repeal it has been going on since last 40 years. The ugly incident in Nagaland was a mistake and accident. Accidents are unfortunate. Stringent laws are may be required but hasty decisions are not needed.AFSPA, at times you feel the requirements, but in times of accident feel the need for repeal. Truth goes both ways..On judges' appointment.Former CJI Gogoi: I had no difficulty with the process when I was there. We appointed 28 High Court Judges. We had consensus after prolonged discussions. Every system has positive and negative. Everything has to be fine balanced..Former CJI Gogoi: When we talk of collegium system. I will mention my High Court, Gauhati High Court, which is functioning with full strength since last 1.5 years. It's the only High Court. This is because I told the Chief Justice of my High Court that they should not send names for prior approval. Gauhati High Court is a model High Court..Kanwal asks if there is an unsigned IB director report, the Judge gets transferred. Why should the judge continue to serve at all? Former CJI Gogoi: How do you get rid of a Judge? The matter is political. Judges have no say in it. It's with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha..Former CJI Gogoi: There may be Justice for Rajya Sabha members book too. Life is very uncertain..On cabal or lobby. Former CJI Gogoi: Maybe this will come in Part 2.

Book Launch: Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi's autobiography 'Justice for the Judge' [LIVE UPDATES]

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