APN News

Crucial hearing on intern’s plea against Swatanter Kumar in SC

The Supreme Court will on Wednesday take up the plea of a former law intern seeking inquiry against its former judge Swatanter KumarJustice Swatanter Kumar against whom she has made allegation of sexual harassment.

A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam will take up the PIL filed by the intern in the morning as the first item.

The intern, in the petition, challenged the apex court’s December 5, 2013 full court resolution in which it was decided that no complaint against its retired judges will be entertained.

The petitioner also submitted that a proper forum be constituted to conduct inquiry in such cases and her complaint be also looked into by the apex court like it was done in the case of sexual harassment allegations against Justice (retd) A K Ganguly.

The intern has made Justice Kumar, Secretary General of the Supreme Court and Union of India parties in the case.

She submitted that Justice Kumar was a sitting judge at the time of the alleged incident and the apex court must look into the complaint as per Vishaka guidelines to deal with complaints of sexual harassment at work place.

Justice Kumar, who is currently heading the National Green Tribunal, has described the allegations as “incredulous and false” and “some kind of conspiracy”.

The law intern filed the petition after the administrative side of the Supreme Court refused to entertain her complaint against Justice Kumar citing its full court resolution passed on December 5.

The petitioner sought quashing of the resolution and setting up of a mechanism or forum to look into the complaints of sexual harassment.

The intern’s demand for a Supreme Court probe into her allegations has received support from Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising, leading lawyers Kamini Jaiswal, Harish Salve and Vrinda Grover.

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