The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has declined to take any action against National Green Tribunal (NGT) chairman Swatanter Kumar, facing sexual harassment charges by a law intern, on the ground the alleged misdemeanour, if any, wasn’t committed while holding the present office.
MoEF is the nodal agency for NGT and has taken this stand in response to a petition filed by the alleged victim before the Supreme Court. In her petition, the alleged victim has challenged Supreme Court’s administrative decision of December 5 last year not to act upon complaints against retired judges including justice Kumar.
The harassment allegedly took place when justice Kumar was a sitting SC judge. She also wanted the SC to order justice Kumar’s removal as NGT chairman.
The MoEF’s affidavit stated: “..the alleged misconduct of the present chairperson does not pertain to nor is in any way relatable to the period during which he has been holding the office.”