Kolkata:
AK Ganguly, the retired Supreme Court judge indicted of sexually harassing an intern, says that the case against him is retribution for judgements that he delivered "against powerful interests." He was one of two judges who cancelled 122 mobile network licenses in 2008 after finding that they were allotted without transparency to companies who were ineligible.
In a letter to the Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam, Justice Ganguly has today described his conduct as "above reproach" and said "I never harassed nor did I make any unwelcome advances to any female intern." (
Justice Ganguly's full letter)
Justice Ganguly has refused to quit as the Chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission even after three Supreme Court judges who investigated the allegations against him he said there was evidence of "unwelcome verbal/non-verbal conduct of sexual nature."
He had retired from the Supreme Court when he allegedly harassed the young woman in a five-star hotel in Delhi. She has said in a signed statement that he told her he loved her and suggested that she share a room with him. (
intern's affidavit)
Justice Ganguly says that when he appeared before the Supreme Court committee of three judges last month to share his account of what transpired, he was "treated almost like a person in captivity." He says he was refused a copy of the woman's statement against him.
In his note, he describes the evening at the hotel as "a cordial meeting followed by dinner."