Kolkata: Raj Bhavan handed over CCTV footage to Kolkata Police Friday, a day after it held the screening of the video clips in response to the “sexual harassment” allegations levelled against West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose. However, the footage is yet to be perused by the police’s special inquiry team.
Speaking to ThePrint, a senior Kolkata Police official and member of the investigating team confirmed that a “sizeable folder” has been sent by Raj Bhavan. But the police are yet to examine the content as the force is busy with nomination rallies in the city Friday for the Lok Sabha polls by Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates.
“We do not know the date or what is in the CCTV footage, it is a sizeable folder that we have received from Raj Bhavan and we are yet to peruse it,” said the officer. The Kolkata Police’s inquiry into the complaint against the governor is ongoing.
A week after a woman employee accused Governor Bose of “inappropriately touching” her on two separate occasions, Raj Bhavan screened the CCTV footage of the premises Thursday, but not from the rooms where the alleged incidents took place on 24 April and 2 May, according to the woman’s complaint.
The 90-minute screening was held Thursday morning using a projector on the ground floor of the governor’s residence for a small audience — mostly journalists and Raj Bhavan staff. The footage was played in the absence of the governor and other senior officials. According to Raj Bhavan officials, a total of 75 emails were received from citizens who were keen to view the CCTV footage.
ThePrint was present for the screening.
Three video clips of varied durations from 2 May recorded using the CCTV camera installed at Raj Bhavan’s North Gate, were screened.
Following the screening, the complainant lashed out at the governor for revealing her identity and airing the footage with her face unblurred.
The 29-year-old told ThePrint that two separate incidents had occurred on 24 April inside the governor’s office, and on 2 May in the conference room, where he had allegedly “inappropriately touched” her.
CCTV footage from none of these places was screened.
“Why is the Governor scared to tell the truth? He has insulted me by showing the world my face and not the CCTV of the rooms where the incidents occurred,” she added.
Speaking to ThePrint, TMC minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, who has been banned from entering the Raj Bhavan for her comments against the governor, said, “What was this footage? It only upholds the victim’s statement, where she said she went to the police and filed her complaint. This CCTV is a sham and doesn’t prove he is innocent. Instead, it shows the complainant is speaking the truth that she filed a complaint on 2 May against the governor.”
But BJP’s Dilip Ghosh claimed that those trying to malign the image of the governor will be punished. “The truth will be out and those playing with the dignity of the Governor and are harming his clean image will not go unpunished,” he told the media Friday.
Also read: ‘Engineered narrative, more in the offing,’ says Bengal Governor after sexual harassment allegations
What the CCTV footage showed
On 8 May, West Bengal governor had announced the “Sach ke saamne” programme, in response to the Kolkata Police’s claim that the CCTV footage sought from Raj Bhavan had not been received. Bose had invited 100 citizens to view the footage and ascertain the truth.
The footage screened Thursday was of the North Gate — the entry-exit point for general visitors — recorded on 2 May, the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to stay the night at Raj Bhavan.
The screened footage showed additional police forces getting ready for the PM’s arrival with barricades stationed at the gate at 5.32 pm. The complainant was seen for 10 seconds, walking into the police outpost. Half a dozen policewomen and policemen sat in the room, where visitors’ registration and security check usually takes place.
For the next eight minutes, policemen were seen standing in a circle outside the outpost, talking among themselves, before a woman civic volunteer went inside the room, where the complainant was present.
At 5.40 pm, the complainant was seen coming out of the police outpost and going next-door, inside the additional officer-in-charge’s (OC) room. Ten minutes later, a police officer was seen standing at the door of the additional OC’s room and talking on his phone. At 6.02 pm, two officers walked out of the room while talking to each other.
In the meantime, a fire engine, ambulance, and a truck with crockeries and utensils arrive at the North Gate for the prime minister’s visit. Five minutes later, a lady officer holding a diary went inside the room, where the complainant was present. Another officer stepped in two minutes later.
At 6.15 pm, an officer of Deputy Commissioner-rank was seen outside the police outpost, but the clip indicated that he was only overseeing the PM’s arrival and instructing the police personnel on duty. He didn’t go inside any of the other rooms at North Gate as the footage ended at the 6.18 PM-mark.
The Raj Bhavan staff had no other footage to screen or any further instructions from the governor’s office. When the lights came on after the screening, high tea was served to the guests. Less than five of the citizens who had expressed interest to view the CCTV clips were present.
“I am researching for a book I am writing about the politics of West Bengal. This is part of my field work,” Prof. Manidul Islam told ThePrint before the screening started. “When the governor wrote on X that citizens could see the CCTV footage, I decided to come. I follow his social media handle closely. No one in this state has seen such allegations against the Raj Bhavan.” he said. Islam, however, walked out of the screening midway.
Tusharkanti Banerjee, professor at Raniganj Girls College, who had telephoned Raj Bhavan to see the footage after the governor’s announcement, gave Bose a clean chit post the screening. “The CCTV clearly shows the woman was casually walking into the outpost and was not flustered as one would be in such situations. The governor is an honourable man,” she said.
Banerjee said he had visited the Raj Bhavan several times previously and had high regard for the office and the person who sits in the Constitutional post.
On 6 May, after returning from his hometown in Kerala, Governor Bose told media at the Kolkata airport that he would not allow “didigiri”, referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is referred to as “didi” in political circles.
The Kolkata Police had received a written complaint on 2 May at Hare Street Police Station, which was forwarded by the officer-in-charge at Raj Bhavan alleging sexual misconduct by the governor. The police have set up a special enquiry team headed by a deputy commissioner of police. No FIR has been filed as the governor is granted legal immunity under Article 361 of the Constitution that bars any criminal proceedings against him while he is in office.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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