Three employees of Raj Bhavan, including the Governor’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD), have been granted anticipatory bail by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Kolkata. This development follows their summoning by the Kolkata Police in connection with molestation allegations against West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose.
The Kolkata Police have registered an FIR in the Raj Bhavan molestation case, citing charges under Sections 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint) and 166 (Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person) of the Indian Penal Code against the three staffers. The individuals named in the FIR are identified as SS Rajput, the OSD, Kusum Chetri, seen in CCTV footage carrying a bag, and Sant Lal, a peon at the Raj Bhavan.
The complainant, a contractual staffer at Raj Bhavan, alleges that she was detained by staff members after the incident on May 2 and pressured into silence. The victim has recorded a statement under Section 164 before a Magistrate in this case.
Earlier, Governor Ananda Bose had launched an initiative allowing any citizen of West Bengal, except Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and state police, to access CCTV footage of the incident by sending an email or making a call to Raj Bhavan.
In a notice posted on Governor Bose’s official social media handle, it was stated that the initiative, named “SACH KE SAAMNE,” was launched in response to alleged mischievous and fabricated allegations by the police regarding the availability of CCTV footage. The notice mentioned that the CCTV footage could be viewed by any citizen of West Bengal except Mamata Banerjee and her police force, citing their stance on the matter.
