NEW DELHI:
West Bengal governor
CV Ananda Bose has issued a directive to all staff members of
Raj Bhavan
in Kolkata to disregard any communication from the state police concerning the recent
sexual harassment complaint
filed against him by a temporary staffer.
The directive, posted on the official Raj Bhavan handle, prohibits both permanent and temporary staff members from making any statements, whether online, offline, in person, over the phone, or through any other means, regarding the ongoing investigation.
The notification stated, “In the circumstances all staff/ employees including part time, temporary, DRW or those engaged in Raj Bhavan in any manner are hereby directed to ignore any communication from the police in this respect and refrain from giving any statement online, offline, in person, over phone or in any other manner. This will tale immediate effect.”
This directive comes after the
Kolkata Police
formed a
Special Investigation Team
(SIT) to investigate the allegations against the governor. The SIT has also requested CCTV footage from the Raj Bhavan premises as part of their inquiry.
In his notification, governor Bose cited
Article 361
(2) and (3) of the Constitution, which grants immunity to governors from any investigation or legal proceedings during their term in office by the state police.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is reportedly seeking to interview witnesses and gather evidence pertinent to the complaint.
The allegations emerged just before a scheduled visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently staying at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata for the night.
Earlier today, a woman who identified herself as a temporary staff member assigned to the Peace Room at Raj Bhavan approached the police post within the governor’s House and accused Bose of molestation.
Governor Bose recently released an audio message alleging political motives behind the controversy and warned Raj Bhavan staff to remain vigilant against potential infiltrators with malicious intent.
