Harassment allegations on CJI Gogoi: MeToo conspiracy during elections or brutal reality?

"After 20 years of selfless service as a judge, I have a bank balance of Rs 6.80 lakh," Justice Gogoi said. "Nobody can catch me on money, people have to find something and they have found this."

Supreme Court held an extraordinary hearing on Saturday after a former employee of the apex court accused Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment and persecution. During the course of hearing, Gogoi defended himself on the issue. Gogoi said he doesn't even want to 'stoop so low' to refute these allegations and said that this might be a conspiracy 'to deactivate the office of CJI'.

Stating that it was leaving it to the wisdom of media to act responsibly on allegations of sexual harassment against the CJI, the court said the independence of the judiciary is under "very, very severe" threat. "After 20 years of selfless service as a judge, I have a bank balance of Rs 6.80 lakh," Justice Gogoi said. "Nobody can catch me on money, people have to find something and they have found this: This is the reward CJI gets after 20 years of service," he said.

This high-profile controversy that has rocked the Indian judicial system comes as the world's biggest democracy is undergoing elections in 7 phases. The voting is set to conclude on May 12 and the counting will start on May 23.

The former SC employee who accused Gogoi of sexual harassment had sent a letter addressed to 22 senior judges describing her hardships after Gogoi allegedly sexually harassed her. Confirming that a letter by the woman has been received by several sitting judges. Supreme Court Secretary General Sanjeev Sudhakar Kalgaonkar said all the allegations made by the woman concerned are malafide and have no basis. "No doubt, it is a malafide allegation," he said.

Gogoi made it clear that he will preside over the CJI court and discharge his judicial functions without any fear.

Various judges including Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Tarun Mishra expressed concern about the threat to the Indian judicial system due to these 'unscrupulous allegations'.