AK Ganguly seeks 4 weeks to respond to NCW notice on sexual harassment

New Delhi: Pressure is mounting on former Supreme Court judge AK Ganguly to resign from the post of Chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission in the wake of sexual harassment charges leveled against him by a woman lawyer. Justice Ganguly has sought four weeks' time from National Commission for Women which had asked him to explain his position.

"Justice Ganguly has sought four weeks' time citing he needs to collect all the documents regarding the case," Member of the NCW Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar said.

The Commission had taken a suo motu cognisance in the case and had sent notice to him on December 6 to explain his position post the indictment by the three-member panel of the Supreme Court.

The Home Ministry on Tuesday started consultations with the Law Ministry on the issue of demands for removal of Justice Ganguly. The consultations began after President President Pranab Mukherjee referred to the Home Ministry a letter by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking further action.

If legal opinions suggest that prima facie a case can be made out, the government may suggest to the Supreme Court to constitute a committee to go into the allegations against Ganguly and give its recommendations. The government will also look into the issue whether a criminal case can be filed against Ganguly by Delhi Police.

Banerjee has sought removal of Ganguly as the chairman of the state human rights commission after allegations of sexually harassing a law intern surfaced against him. The West Bengal Chief Minister had last week written her second letter to the President seeking "urgent appropriate action" against Ganguly.

Ganguly, who retired from the apex court more than a year ago, was accused by the intern of sexually harassing her, a charge strongly denied by him, in a hotel room in Delhi in 2012.

The chairman of State Human Rights Commission can only be removed on the orders of the President following the receipt of the Supreme Court's inquiry report that would be vetted by the Union Cabinet.

(With additional inputs from PTI)