Justice A K Ganguly resigns as chief of WBHRC

Facing mounting pressure to quit as chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission, former Supreme Court judge A K Ganguly on Monday met Governor M K Narayanan in Kolkata, fuelling speculation about his resignation.

Ganguly, who drove to Raj Bhavan, had a meeting with the governor for about 45 minutes and left evading waiting media persons.

"I won't comment," he said when contacted by PTI.       There was no official word about his resignation, while phone calls to Justice Ganguly went unanswered. Raj Bhavan sources said that a press release might be issued if instructed, but declined to divulge what took place during Justice Ganguly's meeting with the governor.

Earlier in the day Justice Ganguly, who has been accused of sexually harassing a law intern, said he was yet to take a decision on resigning as chairman of WBHRC.

He declined to comment on his telephonic conversation with former attorney general Soli Sorabjee. Sorabjee had on Sunday said that Justice Ganguly had told him over telephone that he was contemplating resigning as chairman of WBHRC.

A three-judge Supreme Court panel had indicted Justice Ganguly by holding that the statement of the intern, both written and oral, had prima facie disclosed "an act of unwelcome behaviour (unwelcome verbal/non-verbal conduct of sexual nature)" by the judge with her in the Le Meridien hotel in Delhi on December 24, 2012.

Justice Ganguly has denied the allegations and blamed "powerful interests" of trying to tarnish his image because of certain judgements delivered by him.