NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre and justice Swatanter Kumar on law intern's petition in the alleged sexual harassment case. The apex court also admitted that there is no mechanism to handle sexual harassment cases against judges.
The Supreme Court, in its notice, has sought response by February 14 on law intern's allegation that justice Kumar had shown unwelcome sexual behaviour towards her in May 2011. The apex court has also sought assistance from Attorney General and senior advocates Fali S Nariman and K K Venugopal on the case.
"Besides seeking damages, Justice Kumar has also sought an injunction to the reportage in the case," senior advocate Maninder Singh said.
Meanwhile, justice Kumar, who is currently the chairperson of National Green Tribunal, has approached the Delhi high court seeking damages from various media organizations for showing 'baseless' reports against him.
Justice Kumar is seeking Rs 25 crore as damages from the media organizations. The former SC judge claimed he was defamed by publication and telecast of baseless and incredulous allegations of a law intern about an imaginary incident nearly three years ago.
Earlier, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition by the law intern, against the alleged incident of May 2011. The law graduate moved the apex court on Monday and has challenged the SC's December 5 decision not to entertain complaints against retired judges.
A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam, before whom the matter was mentioned for urgent hearing, agreed to take up the case on January 15.
The intern has sought the setting up of a gender committee on the line of Vishaka judgment to look into sexual harassment complaints against sitting and retired judges.
She has also pleaded with the apex court to constitute a forum to conduct an inquiry into her allegations of sexual harassment.
According to the intern, the alleged harassment took place in May 2012 when justice Kumar was a sitting judge of the apex court.
The woman law intern has given an affidavit to the Supreme Court alleging on one occasion justice Kumar had placed his hand on her lower back when she was stepping out of his office room. "I felt quite uncomfortable and disturbed but I brushed it aside," she has said.
Subsequently, on another occasion when she went to the judge's room to apologize for a mistake she had committed, he told her not to worry and asked her to come over to his side of the desk.
"When I did, he put his right arm around me and kissed me on my left shoulder. I was quite taken aback and shocked, and I excused myself and hurriedly left his room," the intern has alleged in her affidavit against Justice Kumar.
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