New Delhi: Slamming former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi for his Rajya Sabha nomination, retired Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju on Tuesday called the former ‘Shameless’, ‘disgraceful’ and ‘sexual pervert’.
Lashing out at Gogoi, Katju tweeted: “I have been a lawyer for 20 years and a judge for another 20. I have known many good judges and many bad judges. But I have never known any judge in the Indian judiciary as shameless and disgraceful as this sexual pervert Ranjan Gogoi. There was hardly any vice which was not in this man.”
Katju has spoken against Gogoi in January as well when he called Gogoi a “rascal and a rogue”. He was commenting upon SC’s decision to reinstate a woman employee who was dismissed after accusing Gogoi of sexual misconduct.
The nomination of Gogoi to Rajya Sabha is vehemently criticized from all fronts. Several former judges, including Kurian Joseph criticized his nomination saying that Gogoi has “compromised the noble principles” of independence and impartiality of judiciary. He said by accepting the nomination as member of Rajya Sabha, as a former CJI, Gogoi has certainly shaken the confidence of the common man on the independence of judiciary.
Recalling the incident when Justice Gogoi along with the other three judges, had held a press conference “to tell the nation that there was a threat to this foundation and now I feel the threat is at large”, Justice Joseph exclaimed “I am surprised as to how Justice Ranjan Gogoi who once exhibited such courage of conviction to uphold the independence of judiciary, has compromised the noble principles on the independence and impartiality of the Judiciary.”
Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice A P Shah and retired HC judge R S Sodhi also reacted sharply to Gogoi’s nomination by the government.
Gogoi, who headed benches that pronounced several key judgments including in the sensitive Ayodhya land dispute case, was on Monday nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the government.