Was offered Rs 1.5 crore to help frame CJI Gogoi in harassment case, claims SC lawyer

Utsav Bains, a Supreme Court lawyer, has claimed that the sexual harassment case against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi was a conspiracy to remove the judge from office. Utsav Bains further said that an unidentified man approached him with a bribe of around Rs 1.5 crore to organise a media conference and "frame" the CJI at the Press Club of India, as well as to represent the former Supreme Court staffer who has levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against Gogoi. In a Facebook post, Utsav Bains said: "I was offered bribe to help frame CJI in the sexual harassment case by lawyering and organising a press conference against the CJI for the ex-SC staffer who has accused the CJI of sexual harassment just a few days back and also specifically asked to organise a press conference only at the Press Club of India."   https://www.facebook.com/utsavbains/posts/2305475579503771 Utsav Bains posted this hours after news of the allegations of sexual harassment against CJI Ranjan Gogoi was made public. The SC lawyer is known for representing a victim the rape case against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who was found guilty in the case last year. In the post, Bains claimed that when he refused to oblige, the man claimed that he was a relative of the woman who had accused Asaram Bapu of rape but failed to explain his relationship with the former Supreme Court employee who had made sexual harassment allegations against CJI Gogoi. "When I refused the person who was initially praising my pro bono work in the Asaram Rape case for the victim etc, and interestingly claimed to be her relative but on the other hand looked like a trained agent and he also couldn't satisfactorily reply as to what was his relationship with the ex-SC staffer," Utsav Bains said. Bains said that he refused as his story was not consistent. "I refused as I found the story facts fishy and also he couldn't reply to any question about the many loopholes in the story he narrated. When I again refused he offered me Rs 1.5 crore. I then asked him to leave my office," Bains said. Conspiracy against the Judiciary After the incident, Bains claimed that made his own enquiries with "reliable sources in Delhi", following which he was convinced that there was a "larger conspiracy to make the CJI resign" and that the 'kingpins' of this plot are "many Delhi-based Supreme Court fixers or those who engage in cash for judgments". Utsav Bains said that he went to visit the CJI residence on Friday evening to inform the judge about the conspiracy, but add that he wasn't home. "I then finally went to CJI's residence yesterday (Friday) evening to inform him about the bribe offer and the conspiracy, around 7 pm. But his staff said he's not at his residence. My CDR tower location details can be checked," Utsav said. "Later at night, I then called an SC reporter with impeccable proven integrity to meet me today (Saturday) for an important subject and also asked him if he could arrange an urgent meeting or get a message sent to the CJI as soon as possible," Utsav Bains said. Bains says he is preparing to "file a detailed affidavit" before the Supreme Court narrating his side of the alleged conspiracy "along with evidences of the conspiracy against the CJI by a lobby of disgruntled judges, SC fixers, corporate scamsters and a few corrupt politicians" who have "meticulously planned" to force the CJI to resign. According to media reports, a former Supreme Court woman employee accused CJI Ranjan Gogoi of sexually harassing her at his residence office in October 2018. The 35-year-old woman explained her ordeal in a letter written to 22 Supreme Court judges on April 19. Chief Justice Gogoi, however, denied the allegations. He held an unprecedented weekend hearing to discuss a "matter of great public importance" regarding the independence of the judiciary. CJI Ranjan Gogoi denied the allegations, saying that he did not deem it appropriate to reply to them. "All I would like to say is this undoubtedly -- every employee is treated fairly and decently. This employee was there for a month and a half. Allegations came and I didn't deem it appropriate to reply to the allegations" said CJI Gogoi at the weekend hearing. Source: The Print