Mamata Banerjee approaches division bench against Calcutta HC order on Governor's defamation suit

Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday approached a division bench of the Calcutta High Court challenging the order of the single-judge bench of Justice Krishna Rao ordering an interim stay on any derogatory comments against Governor C.V. Ananda Bose till August 14.

The single-judge bench gave the direction on July 16 as it heard a defamation suit filed by the Governor against the Chief Minister.

Incidentally, the Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a plea filed by a woman staff member of Raj Bhavan in Kolkata challenging the blanket immunity granted to the Governor from criminal prosecution. The woman staff member filing the petition at the apex court in the matter had earlier filed a police complaint at a local police station in Kolkata accusing Governor Ananda Bose of sexual harassment.

While sources in Trinamool Congress confirmed that the Chief Minister has approached a division bench challenging the single-judge bench order, no information has surfaced so far on which division bench has been approached in the matter and when will be the first hearing in the matter.

When the single-judge bench's order came, the Chief Minister's counsel Sanjay Bose issued a statement claiming that the order would be challenged. On Friday, just an hour after the Supreme Court order, Bose issued another statement claiming that the decision of the apex court contradicts the contention of the Raj Bhavan authorities that the incident was politically motivated and done with the intention of maligning the image of the Governor.

"Incidents of sexual harassment cannot be brushed under the carpet no matter the position and power one holds and the Hon’ble Supreme Court will lay down the contours in this regard," the statement read.