Bengal: 3 Raj Bhavan Staff Members Named In Molestation Case FIR After Harassment Charge Against Governor

An FIR was lodged against three Raj Bhavan staff members for "wrongfully restraining" the woman who accused Bengal Governor of molesting her.

File photo of Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Source : X/@BengalGovernor

Kolkata Police filed a first information report against three officials of the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata for allegedly wrongfully restraining the woman, who had accused Governor C V Ananda Bose of molesting her. 

The FIR against the three Raj Bhawan staff members was lodged at the Hare Street police station, after the victim, who worked as a contractual employee at the Raj Bhawan, recorded her statement in connection with the molestation case before a magistrate, news agency PTI reported citing a police officer.

The trio has been included in the FIR for stopping the woman (complainant) from leaving the Raj Bhawan by wrongfully restraining her on May 2, PTI reported.

"We will investigate their roles on that evening," the officer said.

Kolkata Police have registered an FIR in the Raj Bhavan molestation case, naming the three Raj Bhavan staff namely SS Rajput, Kusum Chetri and Sant Lal under section 341 and 166 IPC. The complainant, a contractual staffer at Raj Bhavan, alleged that she was detained by staff…

— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2024

The trio has been charged under Section 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 166 (public servant disobeying law, with an intent to casue injury to any person) of the Indian Penal Code, news agency ANI reported. 

The Kolkata Police began the probe after the woman, in a written complaint, alleged molestation by Governor C V Bose. She caimed that he had subjected her to molestation within his residence on April 24 and May 2. 

However, under Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a governor during his term in office.

Following the alleagations by the contractual employee, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over the molestation charges against state Governor CV Ananda Bose.

She stated that before talking about Sandeshkhali, the saffron party must answer why Bengal's Governor did this to a woman working at Raj Bhavan.

'Sach Ke Saamne'

In view of the incident, the Governor of Bengal started an initiative that allowed any citizen of the state to access the CCTV footage of Raj Bhavan at the time the incident allegedly occurred as per the woman. 

However, Bose exempted Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and the state police from accessing the video, for the stand they had taken in the public domain.