Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday stayed the police investigation against a Raj Bhavan officer in the case over the alleged wrongful restraint of a woman who accused Governor C V Ananda Bose of molestation.
Justice Amrita Sinha ordered a temporary stay on the investigation till June 17.
Reacting to the order, Governor Bose congratulated the staff and described it as the "triumph of truth over evil".
"Raj Bhavan officials were first given bail by the Court (overruling the objections by the police) and now the vexatious investigation has been virtually stopped by the Court. Truth will triumph, though evil may appear to be making a victory dance in the beginning," Bose wrote on X.
The court directed police to submit a report on the investigation done till date before it on June 10, when the matter will be heard again.
Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Sandeep Kumar Singh moved the high court praying for quashing the proceedings against him and the FIR lodged.
According to the police, three officials, including the OSD, were named in the FIR for allegedly stopping the woman from leaving Raj Bhavan by wrongfully restraining her on May 2.
The woman had on May 2 alleged molestation by Bose following which the Kolkata Police started a probe.
As per Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a governor during his term in office.
Singh and two other Raj Bhavan staffers, against whom the complaint was lodged, obtained anticipatory bail from the chief metropolitan magistrate's court here on May 21.
Singh's lawyer Rajdeep Majumdar claimed before the court of Justice Sinha that the allegations are improbable and no case could have been registered on its basis.
Advocate General Kishore Dutta, appearing for the state, opposed the prayer of the petitioner, submitting that there is no hurry to pass an order restraining the police from conducting its investigation into the complaint.
He prayed that the probe be allowed to be conducted.
Published 25 May 2024, 02:28 IST