KOLKATA: In a sensational charge, a female employee of Raj Bhavan has accused West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose of sexual harassment.
The woman had been working as a temporary staffer at Raj Bhavan since 2019. She complained of feeling uncomfortable when the governor met her on Thursday, reportedly to discuss her promotion.
According to the complaint, the woman was touched improperly by the governor a week ago. Sources said she first complained to the Raj Bhavan police outpost before filing a complaint at Hare Street police station.
Senior police officials said they received a complaint and are looking into it.
"We have received a complaint and are conducting an investigation. We are also consulting the matter with constitutional experts of the law department. As per the woman's allegation, she was molested inside Raj Bhavan," Deputy Commissioner of Central Division Indira Mukherjee told reporters.
Meanwhile, Bengal Governor Ananda Bose has denied the allegations.
In a statement released by the Raj Bhavan, Bose 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."
According to sources in the Governor House, the "woman employee, with the help of her alleged boyfriend, who is also an employee of the Raj Bhavan, was blocking complaints (from people) being sent to the Election Commission of India."
A Raj Bhavan source claimed, "When she was reprimanded for that, she went outside and alleged molestation. She is in the habit of throwing tantrums against her colleagues because of some disease."
According to constitutional experts, a governor, while in office enjoys immunity from all criminal proceedings under Article 361 of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, the incident has triggered a political slugfest in the state.
Senior TMC leaders claimed this evening in a series of social media posts that the woman, who had levelled the allegations, has been taken to a police station to complain against Bose.
"A governor is being accused of indulging in sexual harassment. What kind of state we are in," fumed state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya.
"Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose was accused of molesting a woman. How utterly appalling and horrifying. Ahead of Narendra Modi's visit to Kolkata, who is supposed to stay overnight at Raj Bhavan, a woman has alleged that she was molested while she went to meet the Governor at Raj Bhavan today. The complainant has been taken to the Hare Street police station for filing a complaint. The woman has accused the governor of molesting her. Shocking and disgraceful," TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said in a post on X.
The BJP said it has to be seen whether this is a "conspiracy by the TMC" or has an "iota of truth in it."
"We all know that the TMC is politically cornered on the issue of SSC scam and is looking for a breathing space. So this needs to be seen whether this is a conspiracy by the TMC or it has any iota of truth in it," BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said.
"If it turns out to be a conspiracy the perpetrators should be punished. But if it comes out to be true action should also be taken," Adhikari added.
The West Bengal Governor and the TMC government have shared an acrimonious relationship since he assumed office in November 2022 and had several run-ins on various issues.
In a separate statement from Raj Bhawan, the Governor banned the entry of West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya into the Raj Bhavan premises of Kolkata, Darjeeling and Barrackpore for "defamation and anti-constitutional media statements."
"The governor has also instructed his office that he will not participate in any function attended by the minister. The attorney general for India has been contacted for advice on further legal steps against the minister," the Raj Bhavan statement said.
(With additional inputs from PTI)