Intern deposes before panel probing sexual harassment charge

A woman intern, who has alleged sexual harassment by a recently-retired Supreme Court judge during her internship, today appeared and recorded her statement before the three-judge committee set up to probe the charge.
The law intern recorded her statement for two hours and requested the committee that confidentiality of her testimony be maintained.
"The committee held its meeting today and the law intern appeared before it. She has completed the recording of her statement.
"The law intern has requested maintenance of confidentiality of her statement. The next date of meeting is fixed for November 20," Ravindra Maithani, Secretary General of the apex court, said about the development.

Maithani, who is the Member-Secretary of the committee comprising justices R M Lodha, H L Dattu and Ranjana Prakash Desai, however, refused to make any further comment on the issue.
The intern was requested to appear before the committee which is inquiring into the allegation levelled by her against the judge.

A day after Chief Justice P Sathasivam had on November 12 constituted the three-judge committee to look into the charge of the lawyer, she was called to record her testimony to substantiate her charge.
Observing that he was concerned as head of the institution (judiciary), Chief Justice Sathasivam had said, "In the cases of sexual harassment, we cannot take it lightly."

The CJI had said that the committee "will go into the whole affair and find out the facts and prepare the report and from today evening (November 12) they are going to start their work".
The matter was mentioned before the bench by Attorney General G E Vahavati who had termed it as "an extremely serious matter".
The young woman intern accused the sitting judge, who retired recently, of having misbehaved with her in a hotel room last December when the nation was grappling with the gangrape of a 23-year-old woman in the capital.