Revenge against me due to my verdicts: Ganguly

New Delhi: West Bengal Human Rights Commission Chairman A K Ganguly, himself a former Supreme Court Judge, now in the eye of a huge controversy, has addressed a letter to Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam, setting out his own version of the case of sexually harassing a law intern.

Justice Ganguly claimed that the charge levelled against him is retribution for judgments he delivered against powerful interests. Refusing to quit as West Bengal Human Rights Commission Chairman, he described his conduct as above reproach and said, “I never harassed nor did I make any unwelcome advances to any female intern.”

In his 8-page letter to the Chief Justice P Savasitham, Justice A K Ganguly said he was giving his side of the story that is not being heard. “I have been distressed by some recent happenings. I am anguished that the Supreme Court under your Lordship did not address me correctly. There is a concerted move to tarnish my image as I had the unfortunate duty of rendering certain judgments against powerful interests,” he said.

Three Supreme Court judges earlier investigated the allegations against him and found there was evidence of unwelcome verbal/non-verbal conduct of sexual nature. 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 claimed he was refused a copy of the woman’s statement against him.

Justice Ganguly said, “I asked for a copy of hearing before the Supreme Court committee but denied on the ground of the confidentiality. In normal law a person whose reputation is at stake should be given the affidavit to respond, I had asked for it but denied.”

In his letter, Justice Ganguly described the evening at the hotel as “a cordial meeting followed by dinner.” This is in sharp contrast to what the law intern had levelled charges against him.

In a signed statement, the law intern alleged that Justice A K Ganguly harassed her in a five-star hotel in Delhi and that he told her he loved her and suggested that she share a room with him.