In a shocking twist of events in the CJI Ranjan Gogoi sexual harassment case, a senior advocate and child rights activist based in Delhi Utsav Bains, has indicated a much deeper conspiracy against the CJI. The advocate had filed a plea in the court that he was offered a bribe of Rs. 1.5 crore to frame CJI Gogoi. Adv Bains has thus filed two affidavits today in a sealed envelope, containing material evidence indicating framing the CJI and how it all mapped out.
Utsav Bains has stated in his affidavit, “….a corporate figure tried to approach a Hon’ble Supreme Court judge to get a favourable order in a high-profile case listed before this Hon’ble Court but was unsuccessful and then the said corporate figure attempted to get the case transferred from the court but did not succeed and thus ganged up with an alleged fixer by the name of Romesh Sharma and his aides to frame the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India in a false case of sexual harassment to pressurize him to resign…”
Adv Utsav Bains has also submitted that two of the conspirators have met.
This is what Utsav Bains had said in his affidavit before the Supreme Court about the alleged sexual harassment allegations against the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi#SupremeCourt #RanjanGogoi pic.twitter.com/tHpSHykNSB
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) April 24, 2019
The bench is highly concerned about the contents of the envelope and has taken a very serious note of the contents of the affidavit filed by Utsav Bains by stating, “We should be more concerned about what is there in that affidavit.”
The evidence is regarding the alleged case of sexual harassment of an employee of the Supreme Court by CJI Ranjan Gogoi. It is pertinent to note herein that the accuser is a person who has 2 criminal cases pending against her. Never mentioning the incidence before, months after her dismissal, she has come up with the story at a very ‘convenient’ time. Thereafter, four leftist media publications, Leaflet, The Wire, Caravan and Scroll had ‘self righteously’ sought to unearth the allegations by blatantly questing the CJI. The secretary-general on the Chief Justice’s behalf sent a reply to the media houses denying all claims, stating that they are “completely and absolutely false and scurrilous and are totally denied”.
In light of this, Adv Utsav Bains had come out stating, “I was offered bribe to help frame CJI in the sexual harassment case by lawyering and organising a Press Conference against the CJI for the Ex-SC staffer who has accused the CJI of sexual harassment just a few days back and also specifically asked to organise a press conference only at the Press Club of India.”
When he refused the offer of Rs 50 lakhs, the person offered Rs 1.5 crore after which the person was asked to leave from his office.
Utsav Bains also added, “I was stopped to go public by some senior well-wishers and told that lobby of judges who is planning this conspiracy will turn against me and harm me professionally. But my conscious doesn’t allow me to turn my face away and let history record today’s day as the darkest day in the history of SC.”
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These comments by Utsav Bains, add to the remarks made by the CJI who has also alleged this to be a bigger conspiracy to sabotage the Judiciary. “They cannot catch me on money, so they have brought up this,” said CJI.
After the court perused the contents of the affidavit submitted by advocate Utsav Bains, the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Delhi Police Commissioner, and the Intelligence Bureau Chief have been summoned to the Supreme Court for an in-chamber meeting.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated, “Let this be investigated thoroughly by an SIT under the supervision of Supreme Court”.
The bench has hinted that this allegation is part of a very large conspiracy, involving people in prominent positions forcing to disrupt the justice. Justice Arun Mishra remarked, “He (CJI Gogoi) was taking action after action without fear. That is tried to be (unclear) by some forces.
Nalini Sharma, reporter for Republic TV has stated Adv Bains to allege that “one of the largest corporate houses in the country is behind the conspiracy.”
Bench assembles. Advocate Utsav Bains who alleged that an attempt was made to bribe him to conspire against the CJI has submitted material evidence in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court.
Bains alleges one of the largest corporate houses in the country is behind the conspiracy.
— Nalini (@nalinisharma_) April 24, 2019
The court is clearly perturbed by the contents of the envelope and has made it clear that it would not disclose the contents of the affidavit for now. Justice Mishra stated, “We are not going to say anything about the contents of this affidavit”. This is obviously due to the incriminating nature of the contents in the envelope. Moreover, the court also directed that Utsav Bains be provided adequate protection.
These series of events were preceded by various critical judgments, where several politicians and corporate houses had faced flak from the Supreme Court over several issues. However, this brave act by Utsav Bains to come out and give an affidavit, despite being advised to do otherwise over fear of lash back from “lobby of judges”, has surely given more winds to the allegations of a conspiracy to undermine the Judiciary in face of critical judgments.
