New Delhi (Sputnik): A group of women lawyers in India's capital city of New Delhi on Tuesday staged a protest against an apex court judges' panel giving a clean chit to the country's chief justice, facing a sexual harassment charge levelled by a former woman employee of the court.
About 30 women lawyers, along with a group of journalists covering them, were detained by police when they refused to end their protest outside the country's Supreme Court.
The protest also motivated the police to impose Section 144 of India's Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, in the area to prevent further escalation.
Protesting or demonstrating outside the apex court is not allowed. Also, Section 144 prohibits the assembly of more than four persons in an area.
The three-judge Supreme Court panel on Monday rejected the sexual harassment allegations levelled against Chief Justice Gogoi.
According to a report in the news portal Indiantoday.in, the woman had earlier decided not to take part in the in-house investigation as she was frightened by the proceedings. After yesterday's judgment, the female staffer, through a letter sent to various media outlets, said that her worst fears have come true and all her hopes for justice have been shattered.
"Today, my worst fears have come true, and all hopes of justice and redress from the highest court of the land have been shattered", she was quoted as saying by the report.
The Twitterati went berserk, with sharp reactions to the protest.
Entrepreneur and writer Alfarin Hvalman opined "may be, HE is not guilty, may be its a fake case, but still it needs to be addressed by someone at higher power".
Raj, another user, however, pointed out the questioning activists casting aspersions on the three-judge panel of the Supreme Court.
Quickest Judgement done ever in the history of Free India. Ranjan Gagoi — Accused, Investigated, Judgement sealed!
This case against CJI shud be fairly & thoroughly investigated.
Some, however, are also came out in support of the Supreme Court chief justice and the inquiry panel.
Sreejith E K was one among those who opined that there was also a need to act against the woman if she was falsely accusing the chief justice of India.