Protest in India after top judge cleared of harassment

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) - A group of women lawyers and activists on Tuesday protested outside India’s Supreme Court, a day after an in-house panel dismissed a sexual harassment complaint against the country’s chief justice.

They were protesting against the procedure adopted to deal with the case against Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

Police imposed Section 144 outside the court, which prohibits an assembly of more than four people and holding of any public meetings in the area.

On Monday, Gogoi was cleared of harassment allegations by the Supreme Court's In-House Inquiry Committee which “has found no substance” in the allegations levelled by a former woman employee of the apex court, according to local broadcaster NDTV.

The broadcaster said the three-member Committee, which completed its task in 14 days, proceeded ex-parte, as the woman had dropped out of the inquiry on April 30 after three hearings.

Immediately after the office of apex court's secretary general came out with the findings of the committee, the woman issued a statement saying that she was “highly disappointed and dejected”.

According to the local media, things went out of control in protest after the police tried to disperse the gathering. Some 30 women activists were detained by the police along with journalists who went to cover the protest.

Later, journalists were released by the police.

Security has also been increased outside the apex court premises.