[Suo Motu Case] "It might have been better if I was not part of that Bench:" Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi

Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi said on Wednesday that it would have been ideal if he had not been part of the Bench which heard the suo motu case which came to be registered by the top court in the wake of sexual harassment allegations levelled against him..The matter titled "In Re : Matter Of Great Public Importance Touching Upon The Independence Of Judiciary" had created quite a stir after Justice Gogoi himself had sat on the Bench to hear the case which directly affected him. "In hindsight, I should not have been a judge on the bench. It might have been better If I was not part of the bench. We all make mistakes. No harm in accepting it," said Justice Gogoi.However, he added that it happened because the reputation that he had built as a lawyer and judge for 4.5 decades was being questioned."45 years of my hard work in bar and bench was being spoiled," Justice Gogoi said. .Justice Gogoi was speaking to India Today News Director Rahul Kanwal on the occasion of the launch of the former's autobiography 'Justice for the Judge'.Four web portals had reported about the sexual harassment allegations against Justice Gogoi in April 2019 following which a Special Bench of the Supreme Court was convened on the same day by CJI Gogoi to look into the matter. The case was titled "In Re matter of grave public importance touching upon the independence of the judiciary."Subsequently, an in-House Special Panel of Judges was also constituted to look into the sexual harassment allegations against CJI Gogoi. This panel initially comprised of Justices SA Bobde, NV Ramana and Justice Indira Banerjee.Justice Gogoi said on Wednesday that the in house process which cleared him of the charges has been in place for a long time and is not toothless."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 a judgment. In house proceeding is not toothless. If found guilty they step down and president approves impeachment," he said.He also said that CJI Bobde who presided the in-house committee could have ruled against him."An additional registrar is part of internal complaints committee. The additional registrar would have decided in my favour in 24 hours. But I put my neck out and gave the noose to Justice Bobde. He would have been happy to hang me and get extra 7 months of extra tenure," said Justice Gogoi.Bobde was next in line to be CJI and would have gotten more time as CJI had Justice Gogoi stepped down from the post..The former CJI also said that the employee who had raised sexual harassment allegations against him was reinstated in service during his tenure as CJI and not during the tenure of his successor, CJI Bobde."The lady got reinstated during my tenure. She wrote a letter to Justice Bobde seeking appointment on humanitarian grounds. He (Justice Bobde) asked me (on what to do) and I said 'deal with it'. Justice Bobde reinstated her with compassion. He reinstated two other employees," Gogoi J said..Read Live coverage of the event here.