Kolkata Police (KP) is exploring legal opinion from prominent lawyers and constitutional experts seeking to know about what steps should be taken against the governor C V Ananda Bose.
SNS | Kolkata | May 4, 2024 : Kolkata Police (KP) is exploring legal opinion from prominent lawyers and constitutional experts seeking to know about what steps should be taken against the governor C V Ananda Bose.
A temporary woman employee at Raj Bhavan on Thursday, lodged a molestation complaint against Mr Bose, the constitutional head in the state, with Hare Street police station alleging he ‘sexually assaulted her twice’. The incident has rocked the state prompting the ruling Trinamul Congress to come down heavily on Mr Bose amidst the ongoing seven-phase Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Mr Bose dismissed the allegation and said that he would not be cowed down by the “engineered narratives’.
On Thursday evening, soon after the complaint was lodged with police station, Indira Mukhopadhyay, deputy commissioner (DC) of police (central division), told media that they are in touch with lawyers and constitutional experts in the city seeking to know their opinions about the investigation process, particularly what should be legal steps when a constitutional head faces allegations of molestation.
Senior police officials held a meeting today at Lalbazar to discuss the issue, it has been learnt.
“No criminal cases can be framed against the President and Governors of states in our country. The complainant will land in deep trouble if the allegations brought against the Governor are not proved true,” said Tathagata Roy, former Governor of Tripura and Meghalaya.
Prominent lawyers in the city felt that no criminal procedures can be initiated against the President of India and Governors of states as per the Section 361 of the Constitution. But civil cases can be filed against Governors in connection property related disputes, they said.
“The Supreme Court in its verdict has clearly stated that any organized crime against women must be investigated with extreme importance. But in the case of the President of India and Governors, only complaints can be lodged against them. They can’t be arrested till they belong to the coveted posts,” one prominent lawyer said.
On Thursday night, Mr Bose through a statement banned the entry of the minister Chandrima Bhattacharya into the Raj Bhavan premises in Kolkata, Darjeeling and Barrackpore for making “defamation and anti-constitutional media statements” and also barred the police from conducting any investigation against him in the alleged molestation case.
In the statement, the Governor said, “Truth shall triumph. I refuse to be cowed down by engineered narratives. If anybody wants some election benefits by maligning me, God bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal.”
Mr Bose left for Kochi to attend a pre-scheduled programme there after the Prime Minister left Raj Bhavan today.