Bengal governor molestation case: FIR against 3 Raj Bhavan staffers
The Kolkata Police has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against three employees of Raj Bhavan for "wrongful restraint" of a female contractual worker. The three have been identified as SS Rajput, Kusum Chetri, and Sant Lal. This action follows the woman's complaint on May 2 that Governor CV Ananda Bose allegedly molested her. The police said that the trio tried to detain her, allegedly to stop her from filing a sexual harassment complaint against Bose.
Why does this story matter?
The woman employee has accused Bose of molesting her on two occasions. In her complaint, she alleged that Bose sexually harassed her on March 24 and again on May 2, when he summoned her to his chambers under the guise of providing her with a permanent job. Significantly, under Article 361 of the Indian Constitution, a criminal proceeding against a governor cannot be launched in court while he is in office. However, Raj Bhavan staffers do not enjoy such immunity.
Case initiated based on Special Enquiry Team's report
According to the Telegraph, the FIR was filed based on a report submitted to the Kolkata Police Commissioner by a special inquiry team last Saturday. The report has yet to be forwarded to the state home department. After reviewing the report, senior officers at Lalbazar concluded there was enough material in the complaint and eyewitness statements to start a case of "wrongful restraint."
Accused allegedly restrained complainant in EPABX room
Preliminary investigation findings suggest that the three accused restrained the complainant inside an EPABX room and locked the door from inside. They allegedly told her to "keep quiet" and prevented her from leaving the building after she left Governor Bose's room on May 2. An earlier report by the Telegraph also alleged that the trio seized her phone as she was going to call her mother and took her bag, preventing her from leaving the Raj Bhavan premises.
Governor Bose dismisses charges, enjoys constitutional immunity
Despite allegations against him, no formal charges have been filed against Governor Bose due to his constitutional immunity. Bose has dismissed these charges as "engineered narratives" meant to "stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal." He said that the allegations are part of a plot to tarnish his reputation for political gain. "If anybody wants some election benefits by maligning me, God bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal," he said.
