Preliminary inquiry dismisses molestation charges against Bengal Governor

An in-house preliminary inquiry report by a Raj Bhavan panel has dismissed molestation charges against West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose by a former woman staffer. The report, made public on Saturday, claimed the complaints were "ill-motivated."

The report, prepared by the former district judge of the Pondicherry Judicial service, D Ramabathirani, stated that the alleged sexual misconduct against the Governor on April 24 and May 2 was "ruled out as baseless."

Besides taking into consideration multiple newspaper clippings between May 3 and May 7 this year which reported the alleged incident at Raj Bhavan, the one-man inquiry committee also examined eight Raj Bhavan staff as witnesses, including two ADCs and the OSD to the Governor, to reach its conclusion.

"The timing of the alleged incident on May 2, 2024, coinciding with the Prime Minister's visit to Raj Bhavan, creates a cloud of suspicion regarding the truthfulness and indicates a sinister motive behind the allegations," the .