Justice Gogoi opts out of MP judge sexual harassment probe; Rohinton Nariman J. to head panel

Justice Ranjan Gogoi of the Supreme Court has recused from the 3-member panel investigating the charges of sexual harassment levelled against a Madhya Pradesh High Court judge, reports Indian Express..Now, Justice Rohinton Nariman will head the panel, which also comprises Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court Manjula Chellur J. and Senior Advocate KK Venugopal..In February, Vice-President of India Hamid Ansari took the call to replace Justice Vikramajit Sen, who retired from the Supreme Court on December 31 last year, with Justice Gogoi..The panel was constituted after the Vice President admitted an impeachment motion against the judge that was put forward by more than 50 members of the Rajya Sabha..This is not the first instance in recent times Justice Gogoi has been involved in a recusal-related matter. Last month, the apex court judge had passed an order directing the Bar Council of India and the Bar Council of Delhi to look into the conduct of an advocate who had asked him to recuse from hearing a matter..The advocate in question, Mrinal Kanti Mandal, had sought the judge’s recusal on the ground that Justice Gogoi had met the members of the management of the company which was the Respondent in the case. This meeting took place when Justice Gogoi was on a family tour to Udaipur..Two weeks ago, the advocate mentioned the matter before Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, who said that the court would “look into it”.