The Central Bureau of investigation on Thursday conducted raids at the homes and offices of senior advocates Anand Grover and Indira Jaising in connection with an alleged violation of rules in receiving foreign aid.  The Supreme Court had in May issued a notice to the lawyers and their NGO, Lawyers Collective, on a plea alleging FCRA violation by them.

Reacting to the notice, the two had alleged they were being “victimised” as Jaising took up the cause of a sacked woman employee of the apex court who had levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi which were rejected by an In-House Inquiry Committee on May 6.

The notice was issued to them on a plea seeking investigation and lodging of FIR under various provisions of law for allegedly violating rules relating to receipt and utilisation of foreign funds.

Jaising and Grover, founders of Lawyers Collective, had been asked by a bench headed by the CJI to respond to a plea by an NGO, Lawyers Voice.

“It is obvious to us that this is victimisation on account of Ms Jaising taking up the issue of the procedure adopted in relation to the allegations of sexual harassment against the Chief Justice of India by a former employee of the Supreme Court which Ms Jaising has done so in her capacity as a concerned citizen, a senior member of the bar and a women’s rights advocate, without commenting on the merits of the allegations,” Jaising, Grover and Lawyers Collective said in a press statement.

They said that since Jaising, a former Additional Solicitor General, has been “publicly vocal” on the due process with regard to the conduct of the In-House Inquiry Committee headed by Justice SA Bobde, the CJI should have recused himself from hearing the matter.

“Considering that Ms Jaising has been publicly vocal on the issue of due process of law in relation to the conduct of the in-house inquiry, the Chief Justice ought to have recused himself from hearing the matter,” the statement said.

They also said that the plea by Lawyers Voice was filed in the apex court on May 6 and it came be listed before the CJI’s court on Wednesday “contrary to the circulars and notifications” of the top court.

“We are deeply disturbed by the turn of events. It needs to be noted that the petition came to be filed on May 6, 2019. It appears from the record on the Supreme Court’s website that the petition was filed on May 6 at 3.19 PM. There were a number of objections, which were removed on May 7,” they said.

“It further appears that though the matter was not orally mentioned on May 7, it came to be listed in court number 1 on May 8, contrary to the circulars and notifications of the Supreme Court in respect of listing,” the statement said.

—India Legal Bureau