“Firstly, if it were a case of a prominent politician rather than a former judge, would the judicial institutions have completely washed their hands of or would they have monitored the investigations?” he said.
Since a former judge of the apex court is involved, the standards of judicial scrutiny should be higher than normal, Jaitley said.
He also asked how Justice Ganguly could discharge his duties as WBHRC Chairman in the wake of such allegations.Jaitley suggested that it would be “fair and proper” if Justice Ganguly contests the allegations as an ordinary citizen rather than a high functionary.
“If he were to relinquish his office, he would only be protecting the dignity of the office that he occupies. His decision to cling on to his office only establishes that even judges, like most in political positions, continue to stick to their office till the intensity of public opinion forces them out,” Jaitley said.
Excerpts of an affidavit by the law intern, who has accused Ganguly of sexual harassment, have been made public by Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising. Justice Ganguly has denied the charge.
