Story of a 35-year-old lady who was the Assistant of the then CJI Gogoi from Oct 2016- Oct 2018.

RAHUL  @RahulSeeker

 The CJI referring to my clothes, told me, ‘You are looking pretty good today’… He got up from his chair, then took my hands into his and told me that my hands smell nice… The CJI then asked me, ‘What can you do for me?’, I kept repeating that I was very grateful and that everybody in my family was very happy. The CJI then slid his hand from the back of my head, along my back to my hipline, till my lower back. I immediately froze and my body stiffened.

For those 600 prominent Lawyers:

In 2019 all the other judges in SC received an affidavit from a Court employee. A 35-year-old lady who was the Assistant of the then CJI Gogoi from Oct 2016- Oct 2018. In that affidavit, she stated that she acted as his assistant from noting his instructions to allegedly preparing 'Hindi Song list' for him.

 Allegedly Justice Gogoi would call her at different times, even after her working hrs. Apart from office conversations he also used to discuss personal matters with her. In August 2018, CJI Gogoi reportedly met her immediate boss at the library section to transfer her to his residence. 

The excuse he gave was that he was going to be the CJI soon & lots of work pressure right now on him. Soon she transferred. She began working at his residence on 11th August 2018. CJI Gogoi also allegedly asked her to wish him 'GOOD MORNING' every morning over WhatsApp and send him a text after reaching home every evening. He would allegedly call her on WhatsApp to discuss matters unrelated to work. 

She said 'Several times he would call me into his office room, make me show him my phone and make me delete WhatsApp messages between us. 

On 03/10/18 into his swearing-in ceremony, she was invited. He allegedly told her she was the only person he invited after his wife and mother.

 Both she and her husband attained that program. On 10 Oct a few days later her brother-in-law, who was suffering from 60% disability in his leg was given an appointment letter in court. The CJI allegedly called her in the office room & told "he had ensured it despite the fact that my brother-in-law was found to be medically unfit as traces of blood were detected in his urine test,” She further narrated her story "Though I usually wear a uniform of black and white clothing, on that day since it was the first day of Navratri, I had worn an orange kurta and dupatta. 

The CJI referring to my clothes, told me, ‘You are looking pretty good today’… He got up from his chair, then took my hands into his and told me that my hands smell nice… The CJI then asked me, ‘What can you do for me?’, I kept repeating that I was very grateful and that everybody in my family was very happy. The CJI then slid his hand from the back of my head, along my back to my hipline, till my lower back. I immediately froze and my body stiffened.

 I presume the CJI sensed this, and he immediately pulled both my cheeks, like one would do to a child. He told me that he is like this with his daughter too.” 

On Oct 11, 2018 allegedly, the CJI again called her to his residence office "He (CJI) initially pinched my cheeks. He then put his arms around my waist from the front and said, ‘I want this from you’.  He hugged me around the waist, and touched me all over my body with his arms and by pressing his body against mine, and did not let go… Since he did not stop hugging me, I was forced to push him away from me with my hands. When I pushed him away, he hit his head against a book shelf,” she says, adding that “I left the room immediately and was in a state of complete shock and was unable to think clearly.” 

About 10-15 minutes later, she adds “the CJI called me to his office again and told me, ‘whatever happened here, you will not share with anybody’. I was so upset and scared that I said, ‘yes of course your Lordship’. 

Then he told me, ‘write down that you will not disclose’. I had a piece of paper and pencil, in my hand, I wrote down what he dictated, ‘I will not harm your dignity, will you let me hold you’. “I was extremely scared, I knew what he was dictating was wrong, and that he was making it appear that it was me who tried to hold him".  In her affidavit she further stated after reaching home she received repeated calls from SC Registry asking about her well being. 1/2

2/2 “The same night, when I regained my senses and was able to think clearly, I called the CJI on his phone because I wanted to tell him that I could not work with him any longer. He did not receive my call. Instead, he made his personal secretary call me and tell me not to disturb Justice Gogoi at night. 

Though till then it was normal for him to Whatsapp and call me at odd times,” she further writes, adding that eventually, she came to know that SHO Tilak Marg Police Station had also enquired about her and her family. 

Reportedly, Within a month a disciplinary committee formed against her alleging several accusations from indiscipline to lack of devotion towards work & several other things. Her defence request was refused. 

In Dec 2018, she was terminated. A week later her husband & his brother who was working in the Delhi Police allegedly suspended from service without a specified reason. 

On the night of 11 January, 2019, the head of the police station near the Supreme Court took the couple to the Chief Justice. Justice Gogoi was not present but his wife She detailed "He took me to Mrs. Gogoi in the CJI’s residence drawing room. 

In the presence of the SHO and the Registrar, Mrs. Gogoi told me “naak ragad ke jao" (rub your nose on the ground and leave)” 

Within weeks the brother in law whom CJI GOGOI appointed was dismissed from job. Thereafter, according to her, a “false and frivolous” FIR was registered against her under section 420, 506, 120-B IPC at Tilak Marg Police Station on March 3, 2019. 

As per the FIR, she allegedly took an amount of Rs 50000 from a Jhajjar resident on the Supreme Court premises in 2017 on the promise of arranging a job for the complainant in the Supreme Court. on March 8, 2019, a police team from Delhi stormed her ancestral house in Rajasthan. 

After she along with her husband were brought to the Tilak Marg police station the next day, she claims, “I was arrested late at night, shackled from my feet…my husband was beaten up in police custody and handcuffed (though he was not arrested). I was kept in police custody for one day and judicial custody for another day.

 Consequently, I was forced to obtain bail,” she continues. “The police have now moved an application for the cancellation of my bail.” 4 days later she received bail but the case moved to the Crime Branch and her bail was confronted alleging she was threatening the complainant. However, the Crime Branch didn't explain why there was no case on the complainant, a 31-year-old man who admitted to having paid a bribe. After her arrest, she wrote the affidavit to all the other Judges. In May 2019, the SC announced that an enquiry panel examined the allegations of sexual harassment and found no substance in them. The findings were not made public. The lady withdrew her complaint by stating that she was not allowed a support/defence lawyer to present her case. There was no audio/video recording of the Committee proceeding. She was not given a copy of her submitted statement. Moreover, there was no external person present. 

The panel of judges examining the case were all reporting to CJI GOGOI. She was allegedly told by judges on the first day of hearing "We are not here as a sexual harassment committee, it is not a departmental proceeding, it is not even an in-house proceeding. We are here just to work on your complaint." She said the other judges assured her no harm in future. Justice Bobde who was going to become the next CJI allegedly told her 'You know you will get your job back".

 On 17th Nov 2019, Justice Gogou retired. On 22nd Jan 2020, she was reinstated in her job without explanation. Here some question arises. As the SC said the accusations against the Supreme Priest are false ... Why was she reinstated in her job? What about the earlier allegations against her? Also, the case of bribery against her was withdrawn after the complainant refused to show up. That time of course Harish Salve was sleeping it seems.