AK Ganguly has quit. Stop hounding him now
Mr AK Ganguly's resignation as Chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission should close the sordid chapter that began after a law intern accused the former Supreme Court judge of sexual misconduct. Those who went for his throat after the allegation surfaced can now sit back satisfied. Yet, the fact remains that since the former intern has not till date thought it fit to file a complaint with the police and pursue the matter, we cannot vouch for the veracity of the grave allegation that she had levelled and which has cost Mr Ganguly both his reputation and position. Of course, she is still free to proceed legally, though questions will continue to be raised on why she has hasn't done that until now. In the given situation, Mr Ganguly's supporters can argue that the former judge has been hounded out of office on the basis of unproven accusations. Mr Ganguly himself had held out for weeks since the charges came in the public domain through a blog that the victim had posted on the alleged incident, claiming that because he was absolutely innocent he was not going to quit. Pressure built on him after a Supreme Court appointed panel of three judges, which went into the incident, found Mr Ganguly prima facie guilty of inappropriate behaviour. Yet, the former judge refused to throw in the towel, more so since the apex court also concluded after receiving the report that it would not take further action against Mr Ganguly. However, what appears to have subsequently weighed heavily on Mr Ganguly's mind is the Union Cabinet's clearance of a Presidential reference that called for his removal. If the reference had come from the President, he would have been in a truly embarrassing position, having to virtually appear as an accused to defend his case. Of course, he would have had an excellent opportunity to present his side, but the resulting publicity would have been as damaging to him as the allegation has been.
Regardless of the fact that the charges against him remain untested, Mr Ganguly's continuance in office had become difficult, as pressure had begun to mount from not just the State Government which had taken a belligerent position against him but also from prominent members of the legal fraternity and the media in general which believed that he should take the honourable way out and resign, and then fight the accusation. They observed with some justification that the issue was more than about the innocence or otherwise of an individual; it related to the integrity of the high office he held. How could, they questioned, a person accused of sexual misconduct preside over a body which hears cases of a similar natureIJ With all of this swirling around him, it had indeed become difficult for Mr Ganguly to discharge his duties with the care and compassion that his position called for.
What happens hereonIJ If the alleged victim decides to pursue the legal option, Mr Ganguly will have to battle it out. If she does not, he can either let the matter fade away as time passes or seek legal remedy against her for ‘character assassination'. The immediate furore may have died down with his resignation, but the issue can be rekindled if either of the two sides decides not to let go without being vindicated.