Delhi HC rejects plea seeking media gag from revealing charges against CJI

The Delhi High Court on Monday (April 29) refused to entertain a plea seeking to restrain the media from publishing allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi by a former Supreme Court employee.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Rajendra Menon dismissed the plea filed by an NGO and said the top court is already seized of the matter and no interference was needed. “Go to the Supreme Court,” said the bench to NGO Anti Corruption Council of India, which had said publication of allegations against the CJI directly hit the Indian judicial system.

The petition had sought immediate restriction on the media from further telecasting or publishing the allegations till conclusion of the three-judge panel’s inquiry. The allegations levelled by the former woman employee of the Supreme Court are being inquired into by a three-judge panel of the apex court which held its first proceeding on Friday (April 26) last.

Besides electronic and print media, the plea had also sought directions for social media platforms. The petition had arrayed as parties the ministries of law and justice and information and broadcasting, the Delhi government, the Press Council of India and the Delhi police commissioner.

Directions had been sought for WhatsApp, Google, YouTube and LinkedIn Corporation and news website Scroll.in.

The plea had alleged that it suspects involvement of “anti-national elements” in this act and if publication of these allegations is not restricted, “people will lose faith in the Indian judicial system”, and the “vast damage” caused to the nation and its people would be “irreparable”.