NEW DELHI: Reacting to in-house inquiry panel’s clean chit to CJI Ranjan Gogoi, several lawyers and women’s rights activists dubbed the development the most “unfortunate and unjust”.
Ranjana Kumari, a women’s rights activist and director of the Centre for Social Research said, “The committee did not have an external member in violation of the Vishaka guidelines which were first promulgated by the SC itself and hence a probe by the panel cannot be called unbiased.”
SC lawyer Meera Bhatia too said that the decision could have been seen as fair and unbiased only if “there was a neutral person of eminence in the committee that carried out the probe.”
NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma, when asked if she will provide legal aid to the complainant in case she goes to police, said she can comment, “Only after fully understanding details of the development.”