Resigned to obviate further controversy: Justice Ganguly

Former Justice Ashok Kumar Ganguly on Tuesday said he resigned as chairman of West Bengal Human Rights Commission 'to obviate any further controversy' while holding that the grounds on which Centre made a recommendation against him to the President were "untenable" and "misconceived.

"I would like to affirmatively say that allegations which are appearing against me in the media both electronic and print are unfounded and baseless and I deny the same," Justice Ganguly said in his resignation letter to Governor M K Narayanan in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment against him by a law intern.

"The purported recommendation to the Hon'ble President for my removal, are based on grounds, which, in my opinion, are untenable and misconceived," Ganguly said in the letter, which he read out to PTI over phone.

"However, to obviate any further controversy and to ensure peace and happiness of the members of my family and having regard to the fact that I headed the high office of a judge and presently holding the post of chairman of the WBHRC and being humbly of the view that I have lived up to the expectation of both, I have decided to resign from the post of chairman of the Commission with immediate effect," the former Supreme Court judge said in his letter dated January 6.

Justice Ganguly met the Governor at Raj Bhavan on Monday and submitted his resignation. "I have no attachment to any post unless I can work with dignity and honour and I understand that it is not possible under the present situation," he said in his letter.

"This letter may therefore be treated as notice under Section 23(1) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. "However, I make it clear that I have no rancour towards any of my detractors and I wish them well in life," he said.

"I thank you for the courtesies which you have extended to me consistently," Ganguly added.