HC refuses to gag media on allegations against CJI Gogoi

The bench said, “In view of the above, we see no reason to make any indulgence in the matter and, accordingly, we refrain from exercising jurisdiction.” It also observed that “judicial propriety and discipline require that this court (Delhi High Court) should not interfere in the matter at all, when the matter is sub-judice before the Supreme Court.”

The court’s direction came while hearing a PIL by Anti-Corruption Council of India, which has sought “immediate restriction on media houses and news channels from further telecasting of the allegations against the CJI.”

On April 20, a former woman employee of the Supreme Court had levelled allegations of sexual harassment by the CJI. Her accusations are being probed by a three-judge panel of the apex court which held its first proceeding last Friday.

The PIL also sought orders to the Union ministries of Law and Justice and Information and Broadcasting, the Delhi government, the Press Council of India, the Delhi Police Commissioner, and the operations head of WhatsApp, Google, YouTube and LinkedIn and the website scroll.in, to restrain the publishing or telecasting the allegations against the CJI, alleging that it is a “direct hit on Indian judicial system”.

The plea, filed through B R Harish Babu, as authorised signatory of the trust, stated that a “false affidavit filed by the dismissed employee of the office of CJI cannot be built as a pillar to put allegations on the Chief Justice of India”.

It has stated that unless the allegations are proven against the CJI in the committee’s inquiry, the media should be restricted from “advertising and besmirching the image of the CJI” and the judiciary.