HC to hear Guv’s defamation suit against CM on July 10

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court will hear the defamation suit filed by Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on July 10.

Justice Krishna Rao told Deputy Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi, who appeared for the Governor, to make media organisations referred to in the suit parties in the case before the hearing begins. During the hearing, Justice Rao, observing that the defamation suit was filed based on media reports, pointed out that the publications had not been made parties in the case and adjourned the hearing till July 10. Bose had filed the suit against Banerjee on June 28, a day after the latter said before the media that several women had told her that they were afraid to visit the Raj Bhawan. It was learnt that besides the Chief Minister, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh and the two newly-elected ruling party legislators — Sayantika Banerjee from Baranagar and Reyat Houssen Sarkar from Bhagawangola have been named in the suit.

Ghosh has, however, filed a caveat in the court in this regard.In a post on X, Ghosh on Thursday said: “I respect the Chair; respect him too. But if anybody gifts me a court case, he should be ready for a return gift from me also. Hope the sportsman spirit of both sides will continue.” The Governor earlier confirmed that he had filed a defamation case against Chief Minister Banerjee at the Calcutta High Court, and he would “treat her as an accused”. The Chief Minister on the other hand made the remarks during a press conference at the State Secretariat last Thursday.

Referring to the ongoing row over two newly-elected TMC MLAs, Sayantika Banerjee and Rayat Hossain Sarkar, Banerjee had said: “Why should they go to Raj Bhavan? Why will he not come to the Assembly? They have complained to me that women are afraid to go to Raj Bhavan where such activities are going on.” Meanwhile, the former employee of West Bengal Raj Bhavan, who raised sexual harassment allegations against the State’s Governor, C V Ananda Bose, has approached the Supreme Court challenging the immunity claimed by the Governor from criminal prosecution as per Article 361 of

the Constitution.