CJI sexual harassment case: Ex-SC judge Madan Lokur finds ‘bias’ in panel probe

The complainant woman in the CJI sexual harassment case has not been treated fairly, former Supreme Court judge Madan B Lokur has said.

Writing in the Indian Express, he said ‘there was institutional bias’ in the way the SC dealt with its former employee.

The internal inquiry committee should have given the complainant a copy of its findings so that ‘she gets answers to the questions that she and others have raised.’

An article on Indianexpress.com said the former judge questioned SC secretary-general’s citing of an earlier ruling to decline a copy of the report to the complainant.

Justice Lokur said the judgment of the Supreme Court does not say that the complainant is ‘disentitled’ from getting a copy of the report of the ‘so-called in-house committee.’ Besides, under what law can the report be denied to the complainant?” the reported quoted the ex-judge as asking.

Justice Lokur and three other judges, including present CJI Ranjan Gogoi, had addressed the media in January 2018, questioning the conduct of the then CJI Dipak Mishra.The  complainant woman in the CJI sexual harassment case has not been treated fairly, former Supreme Court judge Madan B Lokur has said.