Do not go ahead with CJI probe ex-parte, SC judge tells in-house panel

New Delhi, May 06: In a letter to the three judge in-house committee of the Supreme Court probing sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, Justice D Y Chandrachud has said that the inquiry should not proceed ex-parte.

The letter comes in the wake of the complainant opting out of the inquiry on April 30. Justice Chandrachud's letter comes in the wake of the panel deciding to go ahead with the inquiry despite the complainant opting out.

In his letter the judge said that the credibility of the institution would suffer if they proceeded in the absence of the complainant. He also said that the complainant should be provided with a lawyer during the inquiry and this would do no harm.

After media reports suggested that Justices Chandrachud and Nariman had met the panel, the Secretary General of the Supreme Court said, "it is most unfortunate that a leading newspaper has chosen to state that Justice Nariman and Justice Chandrachud together met Justice Bobde on Friday evening, that is on May 3, 2019. This is wholly incorrect. The in-house committee, which is deliberating on the issue concerning Chief Justice of India, deliberates on its own without any input from any Supreme Court judge."