SC panel names judge accused of sexual harassment

New Delhi, Nov 29  A three-member panel that probed the charge of sexual harassment of a young lawyer by a Supreme Court judge has submitted its report, identifying the judge as A.K. Ganguly, court sources said Friday.

The report was submitted Thursday after the committee of three judges met six times. It is the first the alleged perpetrator has been named.

The report, submitted to Chief Justice P. Sathasivam, also carries the statements of the victim, a young lawyer who had interned under the Supreme Court judge, and that of the now retired Justice Ganguly, the sources said.

The graduate of Kolkata-based National University of Judicial Sciences (NUJS) had alleged sexual harassment by a (now) retired apex court judge while she was interning with him in December 2012.

The committee, which held six sittings on Nov 13, 19, 21, 26, and 27, submitted its report to Chief Justice Sathasivam Thursday (Nov 28).

The young lawyer appeared before the committee Nov 19 and was expected to re-appear on Nov 21 but chose to stay away.

She had first alleged sexual harassment on Nov 6, in a blog for Journal of Indian Law and Society. Subsequently she repeated the allegation in an interview to Legally India website.

The young lawyer, who is at present working with organization Natural Justice: Lawyers for Communities and Environment, said besides herself she has heard three other girls too were sexually harassed by the same judge.

She had also claimed to have knowledge of another four girls who were allegedly harassed by other judges in their chambers.