I feel looked at with suspicion: Lawyer who alleged sexual harassment by former judge

The three-judge panel was set up by the Supreme Court on November 18 after the lawyer blogged that she was sexually harassed last December by a Supreme Court judge with whom she was interning.

Ravinder Maithani,secretary general of the Supreme Court and member secretary of the panel,told The Indian Express that he has brought the lawyers statements to the notice of the committee members. The panel will have another meeting at 1:30 pm Wednesday to decide the future course of action, he said.

In courts,women lawyers openly discuss the harassment they face. But that talk never makes it to the bench. I felt somebody had to make the first move, the lawyer told WSJ.

Asked why she didnt file a formal complaint in December,she said: It took me time to come to terms with the fact that I had been assaulted. When I finally did,all that I wanted to do was to erase the memory.. This was a man I had admired… I pondered over the idea of legal recourse,but feared it would do more harm than good, she said.

First,my case would have dragged on for years. Second,defence lawyers would make me relive every violating moment in court.. Third,in cases of assaults,where there is no physical evidence,its one word against the other… Theres no reason why a law graduate would have won over a judge with a spotless record, she said.

When I told my grandmother I was assaulted,she couldnt understand why I was making a big deal out of it. In fact,she didnt even think it was wrong. We have all been harassed at some point or the other, she said. My mother said what had happened was wrong,but I had to accept it and move on. You dont have any other option, she said, the lawyer told WSJ.