‘Reputation only thing judge has... judiciary under threat’

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Saturday said “reputation” is the only thing a judge has and if it will be attacked on baseless allegations of sexual harassment, no “sane person” will come forward to take up judgeship.

The CJI said after being a judge for around two decades, he had a bank balance of Rs 6.80 lakh. “There is Rs 21.80 lakh in my bank account of which Rs 15 lakh has been given by my daughter for the repair of my house at Guwahati. I have around Rs 40 lakh in provident fund. These are my total assets.”

“When I became a judge, I had much more,” he said, adding, “Nobody can catch me on money. People have to find something and they have found this.”

“If judges have to work under these conditions, then I have always said that good people will not come forward to take up the job. My peon has got more money than me,” he said. The CJI alleged that the woman has a criminal record and two FIRs were lodged against her. When she was employed with the apex court, an FIR was pending.

“How can she become an SC staffer when an FIR was pending against her?” the CJI said, adding that two criminal cases were also pending against her husband. 

A third FIR was registered following which she was arrested, he said, adding that after getting bail, she threatened the complainant of the third case. “I felt this should be told from the highest seat of judiciary,” he said, adding, “Independence of judiciary is under very, very serious threat. It is pathetic.” (With PTI inputs)

"If such things will happen, no judge is going to decide matters. He will say why should I decide. Then I will come and simply adjourn cases. Why will any sane person want to become a judge? Reputation is the only thing which a judge has." Ranjan Gogoi, Chief Justice of India