Ranjan Gogoi: India's Controversial Former Chief Justice

Ranjan Gogoi: India's Controversial Former Chief Justice

The 46th Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, held office from 2018 to 2019. He was the first person from Northeast India to hold this position. But there was controversy around his tenure.

Who is Ranjan Gogoi?

• Born in 1954 in Dibrugarh, Assam. Comes from a prominent political family. 
• His father Kesab Chandra Gogoi was Chief Minister of Assam in 1982.  
• Studied law at Delhi University and started practicing at Gauhati High Court in 1978.
• Rose to become a senior advocate at Gauhati High Court. Later served as judge at Gauhati High Court and Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court.
• Elevated as Supreme Court judge in 2012. Sworn in as Chief Justice of India in October 2018. Retired in November 2019.

Early Life and Background

• Born in 1954 in Dibrugarh, Assam to a political family. His father Kesab Chandra Gogoi was a Congress leader who served as CM of Assam briefly in 1982.
• His mother Shanti Priya Gogoi was a social activist who founded an NGO. His maternal grandparents were also prominent politicians in Assam. 
•  Studied law at Delhi University after finishing college at Cotton College in Assam. Enrolled at bar in 1978.

Personal Life

•  Married to Rupanjali Gogoi. They have a son named Raktim and a daughter Rashmi who are both lawyers.
• Suffered from acute pancreatitis in 1980s and was hospitalized in 2011 as well while serving as Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court. 
• Widely travelled abroad including to Russia, Turkey, UK, France, Germany etc. for judicial conferences.
• Doesn't use social media. Gets Z plus security cover.
• Known to have simple lifestyle. Owns no car and had no property until one gifted by mother in 2015.

Legal Career Before Becoming CJI

•  Started practicing law at Gauhati High Court under a senior advocate in 1978. Later set up independent practice in 1991.
• Became a senior advocate in 1999. Served as permanent judge at Gauhati High Court from 2001 to 2010.
• 2010 saw a transfer to the Punjab & Haryana High Court. Became Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court in February 2011. 
• Elevated as Supreme Court judge in April 2012. Delivered over 600 judgements as SC judge before becoming CJI.

Road to Becoming Chief Justice of India

•  In January 2018, Gogoi was among the four senior-most Supreme Court judges who held an unprecedented press conference.
• The judges alleged irregularities in allocation of cases by then CJI Dipak Misra. This was seen as revolt against the CJI.
• After the retirement of Justice Chelameswar, Gogoi became the second senior-most SC judge in 2018.
• Despite the controversy, outgoing CJI Misra recommended Gogoi as his successor as per convention.

Controversial Tenure as CJI

• Sworn in as 46th CJI in October 2018. Over a year-long tenure till November 2019.
• Delivered the landmark Ayodhya verdict in November 2019 that gave disputed land for temple construction to the Hindu plaintiffs. 
• Oversaw the finalization of the contentious National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam.
• However, a former SC staffer accused Gogoi of sexual harassment in April 2019. His reign was clouded by this.
• An in-house panel quickly cleared Gogoi of the charges, but the probe was criticized by activists.

Rajya Sabha Nomination and Aftermath 

•  Accepted nomination to Rajya Sabha in March 2020, shortly after retirement as CJI.
• Became the first former CJI to be nominated to Rajya Sabha. Seen by critics as undermining judicial independence.
• Currently serves on Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs and other committees.
• Does not accept salary or allowances as MP. Maintains he won't join any political party.

Key Judgements as Supreme Court Judge

• Questioned CBI over promotion of controversial police officer SPS Rathore in 2010.
• Ordered private schools to reserve 15% seats for economically weak students in 2011.
• Passed important verdicts expanding maternity leave benefits and opening the Pinjore-Parwanoo bypass.
• Supported PM Modi's Clean India campaign in 2014 speech.
• Pushed for transparency of collegium decisions in 2017 as part of the SC collegium.

Key Achievements as Chief Justice:

• Headed the 5-judge bench that settled the long-standing Ayodhya dispute in 2019. The verdict awarded the disputed land to the Hindu side for building a temple.
•  Oversaw the finalization of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam to identify illegal immigrants.   
• Passed several important verdicts on issues like female entry into Sabarimala temple, decriminalization of homosexuality, adultery law etc.

Controversies:

•  In January 2018, Gogoi was among the 4 senior judges who held an unprecedented press conference alleging irregularities in allocation of cases by then CJI Dipak Misra.
• In April 2019, a former court staffer accused Gogoi of **sexual harassment**. An in-house panel quickly cleared Gogoi of the charges, leading to outrage from activists. The woman complainant later alleged victimization of her family members.
• After retirement, Gogoi accepted a nomination to the Rajya Sabha in March 2020. This was seen by many as compromising the independence of judiciary. He is the first former CJI to become a nominated Member of Parliament.

So in summary, Ranjan Gogoi had an eventful tenure as CJI during which he passed several landmark verdicts. However, serious misconduct allegations and his post-retirement Rajya Sabha nomination tarnished his legacy.

He received theAssam Vaibhav,' the state's highest civilian award, 

Frequently Asked Questions about Ranjan Gogoi:

1.  Who appointed Ranjan Gogoi as Chief Justice of India?

He was appointed as CJI by President Ram Nath Kovind in September 2018 based on recommendation of the outgoing CJI Dipak Misra. 

 2.What is Ranjan Gogoi best known for? 

He is best known for headed the bench that resolved the decades-old Ayodhya temple-mosque dispute in 2019.

 3.Why was Ranjan Gogoi controversial?

He faced allegations of sexual harassment by a former court staffer during his tenure as CJI. Later, his nomination to the Rajya Sabha after retirement was seen as eroding judicial independence.

4. What is Ranjan Gogoi doing now? 

After retiring as CJI, Ranjan Gogoi was nominated as a Member of Rajya Sabha (upper house of Indian Parliament) in March 2020. He currently serves on various Parliamentary Committees.

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