Protest in Ahmedabad Against Clean Chit to CJI, Organisers Detained by Local Police

Civil society, lawyers and women activists of Gujarat stood in protest holding placards in Ahmedabad on May 9, against the order of clean chit to CJI Ranjan Gogoi in a sexual harassment case. 

However, some of the protesters including the organisers were detained by the local police for about two hours on the ground that the organisers had not expressed their intent clearly while taking permission for the protest.

“We were still standing in protest when police came and asked the organisers to follow them to the local police station. Some minutes later one of the organisers who was already in the nearest police station called and informed us that they were being detained,” a protester told NewsClick.

“Local police held that we had taken permission to demonstrate for the cause of women empowerment, and that we would protest against the CJI for a case which is sub-judice was not clear when the permission was taken. Some of the organisers were detained from the spot of protest and held for about two hours,” Jeevika Shiv, one of the organisers of the protest, told NewsClick after being released.

“Police cannot arrest or detain protesters for the confusion on a technical term,” said Advocate Shamshad Pathan, who was also one of the protestors.

Also Read: Clean Chit to CJI Gogoi: Protesters Supporting Victim Detained

“Has the due process been followed truly? It is not just about clean chit to CJI Ranjan Gogoi, earlier we have seen clean chit being given to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in fake encounter and riot cases of 2002. This is a mockery of the justice system,” added Pathan.

Noticeably, Ahmedabad police had also denied permission to an Ahmedabad-based rights organisation which had planned a protest on the issue on another day.

"We are survivors of such cases. We hope to get justice from the judiciary but now it seems the judiciary itself is in danger," said a protester,  one of many survivors of sexual harassment who had come out to protest.

“A female complainant alleges a serious charge of sexual harassment and the judiciary does not think that they should hear her before giving a clean chit to the accused,” retorts Jeevika Shiv.

Earlier, Yatin Oza, President of the Gujarat Bar Association had written a letter to CJI Ranjan Gogoi in the wake of the sexual charges against him demanding that the CJI should disclose his son’s and son-in-law’s income that run into billions. Advocate Oza had also criticised CJI Gogoi of sitting on the bench to deal with the suo moto proceedings initiated by the Court in the issue. He had also raised questions on why the inquiry proceedings were completed in a day without hearing the complainant while she was hospitalised.