Kolkata, Nov 30 (IANS): Former chief justice of India Altamas Kabir Saturday said he was shocked at the allegations of sexual assault against retired apex court judge Ashok Kumar Ganguly, and that he finds it hard to believe that "this is possible".

The former CJI, however, said he preferred to wait and watch how things played out.

"I know Ashok for a long time he has been a member of the judiciary here... we have practised together. I never ever had any kind of... say... the allegations which have been made... never ever would believe that this is possible... let's put it that way," Kabir told mediapersons here.

Ganguly, now chairman of the state human rights commission, was identified as the judge against whom a young lawyer intern levelled charges of sexual harassment.

"Allegations will always be made and allegations which are made.

"These will have to be sustained... the more these things happened the more things do tend to go out of hand. Allegations can be made against anybody anywhere, automatically he will have to resign?" reasoned Kabir.

"The higher a person climbs, the more that person is subjected to accusations."

The report, submitted to Chief Justice P. Sathasivam, also carries the statements of the victim, a young lawyer who had interned under the Supreme Court judge, and that of Ganguly, sources said.

She had first alleged sexual harassment Nov 6, in a blog for Journal of Indian Law and Society. Subsequently, she repeated the allegation in an interview to Legally India website.

The young lawyer, who is at present working with the organisation Natural Justice: Lawyers for Communities and Environment, said that besides herself she has heard three other girls too were sexually harassed by the same judge.

Kabir cautioned against the "cascading effect" of such serious accusations.

"These are things which will cascade and have a cascading effect... it is better to see how things work out."

Quoting Ganguly he said: "I will use his words... I am shocked and shattered."

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