AK Ganguly bows down to pressure, may quit as WBHRC chief

Facing massive pressure over allegations of sexual harassment, retired Supreme Court judge AK Ganguly has written to former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee confirming his plan to resign as the chief of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission.

According to sources, Ganguly is expected to step down after the presidential reference is formalised. Though if he resigns ahead of that, the Presidential reference will become infructuous. The government has already cleared the reference after Justice Ganguly refused to quit the post.

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Following allegations of sexual harassment by a law intern, there have been voices of criticism from all quarters demanding his resignation as the chief of the WBHRC.

The Trinamool Congress which has been adamant in its demand for his resignation said that the Delhi Police must probe the case.

"Cabinet has given the OK to Presidential reference. Now President will refer it to the Supreme Court. If he wants to save a little bit of honour that he has got the only option for him is to resign. Complaint against Ganguly has been made by a law intern. It is up to her to lodge a complaint, otherwise the offence was committed in Delhi. Only the Delhi police can take a suo moto action in this regard. The West Bengal Police has no locus standi in the matter," TMC leader Saugata Roy said.

Justice Ganguly, who has so far been determined to defend himself and has maintained that the allegations against him are a farce, seems to have bowed down to the pressure. His move indicates that he does not want any further embarassment in the case.

It is being said that the former SC judge has been in consultation with several senior lawyers as well as friends and it is on the basis of their suggestions that he has decided to step down and put this controversy to rest.

However, even after Ganguly steps down from his WBHRC post, the law is fee to file a case against him.

Ganguly also distanced himself from the petition in the case that will come up for hearing on Monday. "I have never filed any PIL, I have no idea of any PIL at all. I have already claimed my innocence and I have denied the allegations," he said.

Ganguly was indicted by a three-judge Supreme Court panel in December 2012 over the allegations of sexual harassment.

Earlier on January 4, Justice Ganguly had stepped down as the guest faculty of National University of Judicial Studies, the alma mater of the victim who accused him of sexual assault.

Ganguly's decision to quit the job with NUJS had come after the university announced its stand to dissociate from the accused judge.