Breaking: Judicial inquiry into Utsav Bains allegations, Former SC Judge AK Patnaik to investigate

The Supreme Court in the case relating to sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has appointed Justice AK Patnaik (retired) to enquire into allegations raised by Utsav Bains. The Court orders that Utsav Bains cannot claim previlege under Section 126 of the Evidence Act. He is bound to disclose all the documents. CBI Director and IB Chief have been ordered to assist Justice AK Patnaik (retired) in this investigation..Justice AK Patnaik (retired) to submit the report in a sealed cover. .The order was pronounced by a Bench of Justices Arun Mishra, Rohinton Nariman, and Deepak Gupta. Today, advocate Utsav Bains, who alleged that the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi was part of a conspiracy, submitted more information to the Bench in a sealed cover..Who is Justice AK Patnaik? Read our exclusive interviewRead also: Retd. SC judge AK Patnaik to supervise CVC probe against CBI Director Alok Verma .Justice Mishra went on to make an impassioned statement on the independence of the judiciary. In response to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s suggestion to direct an SIT probe into the matter, Justice Mishra said,.“The way this institution is being treated for the last 3 to 4 years is as if this institution is going to die. People of this country should know the truth..Do the powerful of this country think they can run this country?”, said Justice Mishra..The judge also warned the Bar and the Solicitor General not to provoke him to say “many things”..“Every day we hear of Bench fixing. Can the Registry be allowed to be managed by muscle and money power?.This institution belongs to you (Bar). This institution has been built by Nani Palkhivala, Attorney General, Fali Nariman etc..We (judges) come and go”, said Mishra..CJI Ranjan Gogoi has been accused of sexual assault by a former officer who worked as a junior assistant at the Supreme Court between May 2014 and December 2018. In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the former Court officer has alleged that following the sexual assault incident, she was unceremoniously terminated from her post. Moreover, she alleges that a trail of harassment has followed since her termination, culminating in a frivolous FIR filed in March this year against herself and her family..Last Saturday, a Special Bench was immediately convened to look into the matter of grave public importance touching upon the independence of the judiciary. This Special Bench had comprised CJI Ranjan Gogoi along with Justices Arun Mishra and Sanjiv Khanna, However, the Court order passed that day did not reflect the name of CJI Gogoi..Subsequently, the present Bench was constituted to take up the matter. This Bench clarified yesterday that it would only look into whether there is a conspiracy afoot against CJI Gogoi and a threat to the independence of the judiciary..Meanwhile, a committee of judges was constituted to look into the sexual harassment allegations against CJI Ranjan Gogoi. This panel is headed by Justice SA Bobde, who is in line to become the next Chief Justice of India. The other members are Justices NV Ramana and Indira Banerjee..[Read Order]