West Bengal Governor Cleared of Molestation Charges in Raj Bhavan Inquiry

An in-house inquiry by a Raj Bhavan panel has cleared West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose of molestation charges brought by a former woman staffer. The report, deemed the complaints 'ill-motivated,' examined multiple witnesses and ruled the allegations baseless. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has challenged a related court order.

An in-house preliminary inquiry report by a Raj Bhavan panel has dismissed molestation charges against West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose brought by a former woman staffer. The report, released on Saturday, concluded that the complaints were 'ill-motivated.' The investigation was led by former district judge of the Pondicherry Judicial Service, D Ramabathirani. The report ruled out the alleged sexual misconduct on April 24 and May 2 as 'baseless.'

The inquiry committee considered multiple newspaper clippings reporting the incident and examined eight Raj Bhavan staff members, including two ADCs and the OSD to the Governor, as witnesses. According to the report, the timing of the alleged incident on May 2, coinciding with the Prime Minister's visit to Raj Bhavan, cast doubt on the allegations and indicated a possibly sinister motive. The report noted that the Special Protection Group had control of the premises before the alleged incident.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has filed an appeal challenging a Calcutta High Court order restraining her and other leaders from making defamatory statements against the Governor. The Trinamool Congress leaders continue to criticize the inquiry report, calling it a 'piece of trash' and questioning the fairness of the probe. The matter is set to be listed for a hearing before a division bench.

(With inputs from agencies.)