Today(on 9th May), Calcutta HC dismisses PIL alleging sexual harassment by Governor CV Anand Bose, concluding the case decisively. Chief Justice TS Shivagnam and Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya presided over the division bench.
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KOLKATA: Today(on 9th May), The Calcutta High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) accusing Governor CV Anand Bose of sexual harassment and molestation. The decision was made by a division bench consisting of Chief Justice TS Shivagnam and Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya, firmly closing the case against the governor at this juncture.
The litigation was initiated following a serious accusation by a temporary female employee at Raj Bhavan, who filed a complaint of molestation against Governor Bose at the Hare Street police station on May 2. Despite the gravity of the allegations, the judicial response was unequivocal.
Chief Justice Shivagnam remarked-
“There is no public interest case. The court will not interfere with the matter in any way now.”
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Amidst the legal proceedings, the governor’s legal defense was robust and categorical. Governor Bose’s attorney, Tirthankar De, emphasized the constitutional safeguards surrounding his client, stating-
“The Governor is constitutionally protected, yet he continues to face defamation without substantiated evidence.”
He urged the court to restrain political figures from making negative remarks about the governor until proven guilty, highlighting the prejudicial impact of such comments.
On his part, Governor Bose has consistently denied the accusations, suggesting that they were motivated by political gain.
“Allegations are being leveled against me for political gain in the electoral arena.”
– he asserted.
In a move to clarify the situation, the Governor also issued a decree from Raj Bhavan barring police entry, reinforcing the constitutional immunity that prevents any criminal investigation against him.
Adding to the complex scenario, the police have expressed their commitment to investigating the incident thoroughly. According to Lalbazar police headquarters, the focus of their inquiry is the complaint related to the incident, not against any individual per se. In pursuit of evidence, CCTV footage from Raj Bhavan has been requisitioned, though it had not been received by the police at the time of the report.
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As part of their investigation, authorities requested CCTV footage from Raj Bhavan, which has not been received yet. In a recent development, Raj Bhavan announced they would make the footage available to the public, excluding only Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her police force. On Thursday, Raj Bhavan released the CCTV footage, providing an extensive recording spanning one hour and nineteen minutes.
