Justice Kumar skips work at NGT on health grounds

Justice Swatanter Kumar, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment levelled by a former law intern, on Monday skipped work at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on health grounds. Officials at the NGT, which Kumar heads, said he is on leave as he is unwell. Meanwhile, the NGT Bar Association has resolved that the ‘unwarranted’ demand for Justice Kumar’s resignation merely on the basis of ‘a one-sided affidavit/assertions amounts to mob lynching’. The association, in a resolution put up on the NGT notice board, has also said the conduct and public demeanour of Justice Kumar is of the highest order and the unwarranted demand for his resignation undermines the prestige of the institution.

Justice Kumar has described the allegations as ‘incredulous and false’ and ‘some kind of conspiracy.’ Earlier, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition by the law intern, against the alleged incident of May 2011.