The Supreme Court today (Thursday, April 25) set up a committee under Justice (retired) AK Patnaik to inquiry into advocate Utsav Bains’ allegations that there was a conspiracy to frame Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi in sexual harassment case.
The bench of Justice Arun Mishra, Rohinton Fali Nariman and Sanjeev Khanna also directed CBI Director, Director of Intelligence Bureau and Delhi Police Commissioner to assist Justice Patnaik in the probe.
The court, however, clarified that Justice Patnaik will not go into the issue of sexual harassment allegations against the CJI. The court has instituted an in-house inquiry committee of three sitting judges to look into the allegations of sexual harassment made against Chief Justice of India.
“This inquiry only focuses on the contents of affidavit and what is alleged therein,” the bench stated.
The next hearing will be held after Justice Patnaik submits the inquiry report, the bench said.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1556195266657{border-top-width: 10px !important;border-right-width: 10px !important;border-bottom-width: 10px !important;border-left-width: 10px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #c1c1c1 !important;border-radius: 10px !important;}”]Meanwhile, Justice NV Ramana, who is part of the 3-member inquiry panel headed by Justice SA Bobde, has opted out of the panel, PTI quoted sources as saying.
The development comes a day after a former apex court woman employee, who levelled the allegations against the CJI, wrote a letter to the panel expressing reservation over the inclusion of Justice Ramana.
The woman was supposed to appear before the panel on Friday.In a letter to Justice Bobde, she also raised questions over the presence of only one woman apex court judge — Indira Banerjee — in the panel to examine her allegations against the CJI which is not in accordance with the Vishaka Guidelines.
“I would humbly suggest that since I was posted in the CJI’s residence office, I know that Justice Ramana is a close friend of the CJI and is like a family member to him. Justice Ramana is a frequent visitor to the residence of the CJI.
Because of this I fear that my affidavit and evidence will not receive an objective and fair hearing,” she wrote in the letter, according to PTI. The woman had also asked the panel to allow her to appear before it along with a lawyer and the proceedings of the committee be video recorded so that there can be no dispute about what transpired in the inquiry.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In the pre-lunch hearing, the bench hit out at what it said were “systematic” attempts to influence the course of justice delivery and said, “time has come when we have to tell the rich and powerful of this country – you cannot run this court”.
The remarks were made by Justice Mishra at the end of an hour-long hearing into an affidavit filed by lawyer Utsav Singh Bains that claimed he has proof of a powerful lobby of fixers, disgruntled employees and corporate figures at work to frame CJI Ranjan Gogoi. Mr. Bains said he was approached by a person called ‘Ajay’, who enticed him with money. The man had claimed to be a relative of the former court staffer who has levelled sexual harassment allegation against the Chief Justice.
The special bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said it is anguished with the way the judiciary has been treated for the past three-four years. “The way this institution is treated in last few years we must say that we will not survive if this will happen,” the SC bench said.
“Don’t think Supreme Court can be run by any remote power from any corner of the earth, whether by political power or economic power,” Justice Mishra fumed. “This is a systematic game…So many things have not come out…People of this country must know the truth. The Supreme Court cannot be run by money power or political power. When somebody tries to clean up the system, he is killed or maligned. This will stop,” Justice Mishra said.
The court asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta not to interfere when he sought a special investigation team probe into Bains’ allegations.
“Leave it to us… We want to tell the rich and the powerful of this country that you cannot play with fire… That you are playing with fire when you play with this court… What do the powerful of this country think? That they can run this court?” Justice Mishra said.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising voiced her apprehensions about leaving the probe into Bains’ allegations to the government.
“Don’t provoke us anymore… This is your institution, not ours. We, judges, come and go. This is the court made by the likes of Fali Nariman, Nani Palkhiwala and K. Parasaran… But every other day we hear of bench-fixing, every day wrong practices are made in the court… Whenever we start hearing a big case, letters are written… Whenever big cases or big persons are involved, this happens in this court… People are trying to this court, its registry with money power… So many things are going on,” Justice Mishra retorted, according to a report by The Hindu.
As a stakeholder in and officer of the court, Jaising urged the Bench to “probe the credentials of this person [Utsav Bains]”. “My Lords have to see if he has come to the court with clean hands,” she said.
Jaising also voiced her concern about whether the probe into the ‘larger conspiracy’ would consume the allegations raised by the woman against the CJI. Her allegations were being examined separately by a committee of three apex court judges. “Your Lordships cannot investigate her defence,” she submitted.
Justice Mishra responded, “This Bench will not enquire into her allegations. Our job is to find out if somebody approached Utsav Bains to file a false case; whether they are two former Supreme employees or others; whether there are fixers involved; whether a conspiracy was hatched after bench-fixing attempt failed.”
Justice Mishra, however, added that if the allegations against the woman were proved, then she would seem to have no defence. “Mr. Bains does not know this Ajay… He may not be a brother of the woman complainant… We do not know what will come out of all this, but we will find out the truth,” he said.
Bains had filed an affidavit following the unprecedented hearing on Saturday during which Justice Gogoi had said some “bigger force” was behind the sexual harassment allegations as they wanted to “deactivate” the CJI’s office.
On April 20, CJI Gogoi had convened an “extraordinary” sitting of the court following reports about sexual harassment allegations levelled by a former woman staffer against him. He had then termed the charges as unbelievable and an attempt by a “bigger force to undermine the independence of the judiciary and deactivate the office of the CJI.”
Centre revokes detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk after nearly six months
The central government has revoked the NSA detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk after nearly six months, saying the decision was taken after due consideration as Ladakh continues to witness political tensions.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been detained for nearly six months under the National Security Act (NSA), will be released after the central government decided to revoke the detention order.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the decision was taken after due consideration, noting that Wangchuk had already completed nearly half of the permissible detention period under the law.
In a statement, the government said the move was part of its broader effort to maintain peace and encourage dialogue in Ladakh.
According to the ministry, the government remains committed to creating an atmosphere of stability and mutual trust in the region so that constructive engagement with all stakeholders can continue.
The statement added that ongoing protests and bandhs had affected normal life and disrupted several sections of society, including students, job seekers, businesses, tour operators and tourists.
The government also reiterated its commitment to providing safeguards for Ladakh and expressed hope that regional concerns would be resolved through discussions, including through the High-Powered Committee and other dialogue mechanisms.
Detained after protests in Leh
Wangchuk was detained on September 26 last year, two days after violent protests broke out in Leh over demands for statehood and constitutional protection for Ladakh.
The clashes reportedly left four people dead and about 50 others injured, including security personnel.
Authorities detained Wangchuk under the NSA on the orders of the Leh district magistrate to maintain public order. He was later transferred to Jodhpur prison.
Long-running agitation over Ladakh safeguards
The activist has been one of the prominent voices in the movement seeking constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, particularly the inclusion of the Union Territory under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Since 2023, Wangchuk has led campaigns highlighting the impact of climate change on Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem.
Last year, he undertook a 35-day fast demanding statehood and constitutional protections for the region. The protest eventually escalated into unrest, after which he called off the fast, saying his message of pursuing a peaceful path had not succeeded.
Legal challenge and court remarks
Wangchuk’s detention was challenged in the Supreme Court by his wife Gitanjali Angmo, an educator.
During the hearing, the court raised concerns about the translation of a speech cited as evidence for his detention. Judges observed that if a three-minute speech was transcribed into a seven- or eight-minute text, it could suggest possible malice.
Opposition reaction
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor welcomed the government’s decision to revoke the detention but questioned the length of time Wangchuk spent in custody.
In a post on social media platform X, Tharoor said the 169-day detention appeared excessively long and called on the Supreme Court to establish strict norms for the maximum period of detention without trial.
He also argued that indefinite detention without trial was a practice inherited from the colonial era and should not exist in a mature democracy.
Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the All India Trinamool Congress clashed in central Kolkata on Saturday morning ahead of a rally scheduled to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day.
The confrontation took place near Girish Park, roughly five kilometres from the Brigade Parade Ground where the prime minister is expected to address supporters.
Eyewitnesses reported that members from both political groups raised slogans and threw stones at each other during the confrontation. The clash created tension in the area as supporters were moving towards the rally venue.
According to BJP supporters, stones were allegedly thrown at them without provocation while they were heading towards the rally. One party activist told a Bengali news channel that the group was targeted suddenly and also faced verbal abuse.
However, local TMC workers rejected the allegations. They claimed that BJP supporters initiated the confrontation by hurling abuses and throwing stones first.
TMC supporters also alleged that stones were thrown towards the residence of local party leaders during the incident.
Police personnel were quickly deployed to the spot to control the situation and prevent further escalation. A large contingent of security forces intervened to restore order in the area.
The clash occurred about half an hour before the prime minister’s scheduled address at the Brigade Parade Ground. The rally marks the conclusion of the BJP’s statewide ‘Parivartan Yatra’ ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal.
During his visit, the prime minister is also expected to unveil and lay foundation stones for development projects valued at more than Rs 18,000 crore in the state.
Massive fire destroys around 80 shanties in west Delhi, hundreds left homeless
A massive blaze swept through a slum cluster in west Delhi’s Matiala village, destroying around 80 shanties and leaving hundreds of migrant families homeless overnight.
A massive overnight fire destroyed around 80 shanties in west Delhi, leaving hundreds of migrant families homeless after flames swept through a large slum settlement near Uttam Nagar.
The incident took place late on the night of March 11 at the Machhli Mandi shanty cluster in Matiala village. The blaze spread rapidly across nearly four acres, reducing homes made of bamboo, tarpaulin and plastic sheets to ashes within hours.
According to Delhi Police, the affected families were largely migrant workers from Bihar who earn their livelihood as daily-wage labourers and ragpickers. Though no deaths were reported, residents lost most of their belongings including clothes, utensils, food supplies and documents.
Firefighters battle flames through the night
The Delhi Fire Service deployed 23 fire tenders to control the blaze. Firefighters continued operations throughout the night and managed to bring the flames under control at around 3 am on Thursday. Cooling operations continued afterward to prevent the fire from reigniting.
Thick grey ash and burnt debris covered large parts of the area after the fire. Charred bamboo frames, melted plastic sheets and twisted tin roofs were scattered across the ground.
Some residents claimed they saw unidentified people arrive on motorcycles and set several huts on fire before fleeing. Authorities have not confirmed this allegation.
Authorities cite disputed land and possible waste burning
District Magistrate Mekala Chaitanya visited the site and said the land has been under dispute for a long time.
He stated that the occupants had been issued an evacuation notice on March 7, with the night of the fire marking the final deadline to vacate the area.
An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire. The district administration suggested that the blaze may have started due to ragpickers burning waste at night, a practice commonly reported in the area.
Officials also noted that a similar fire incident had occurred earlier this month at the same location after illegal garbage dumping, which required eight fire tenders to extinguish.
Police say evacuation prevented casualties
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Kushal Pal Singh said police teams helped evacuate residents before the fire intensified.
He said the temporary structures were made from highly flammable materials, which allowed the fire to spread quickly. However, swift action by police and firefighters ensured that no lives were lost.
Families struggle after losing everything
Residents said they are now struggling to survive without basic necessities.
Rani Devi, a mother of three, said her family had no food, milk or drinking water after the fire destroyed their home and belongings. She added that many families were now sleeping amid the burnt debris.
A student, Rahul Kumar, whose board examinations are scheduled to begin soon, said his textbooks, notebooks and school uniform were all destroyed in the blaze.
Another resident, 42-year-old Rajesh Paswan, who migrated from Bihar over a decade ago and works as a ragpicker, said the fire wiped out everything his family owned overnight.
Demand for compensation and rehabilitation
AAP leader Ramesh Matitala met affected families and called for immediate compensation and rehabilitation.
He said the families should be provided financial assistance and relocated to a safer place, adding that authorities must ensure accountability if negligence or foul play is found in the investigation.
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