Delhi Police asks law intern to register complaint

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has asked the law intern, who had alleged sexual assault by retired Supreme Court judge Justice A K Ganguly, to come forward and file a complaint in the case.

"We have sent an email to the woman to file an FIR in the case and record her statement. Further course of action will be decided after the victim comes forward," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) SBS Tyagi.

Tyagi denied that the Delhi Police has sought any legal opinion in the case.

Earlier, former Delhi University Professor S N Sharma of the law faculty had also given a written complaint to the Station House Officer of Tilak Marg to register an FIR in this regard.

"Please treat this communication to lodge an FIR for sexual assault of (the victim) and others which is a cognisable offence under Section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A and 354-B and the other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," the Professor had said in his complaint.

Although police have not filed an FIR in the case, it may do so once the victim comes forward.

A Committee of three judges of the Supreme Court had indicted Justice A K Ganguly for "unwelcome behaviour" and "conduct of sexual nature" towards the woman law intern, prompting demands that action under criminal law should be initiated against him.

Justice Ganguly, who retired from the apex court more than a year ago and currently heads the West Bengal Human Rights Commission, was accused by the inter of sexually harassing her in a hotel room in Delhi last year. He had strongly denied the charge.

Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam had set up a committee consisting of justices R M Lodha, H L Dattu and Ranjana Prakash Desai to go into the intern's complaint, which she had made public through a blog. The committee had submitted its report a few days ago.