Kolkata, Jul 7: The Union Home Ministry has initiated disciplinary action against Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and a DCP for allegedly maligning the office of the West Bengal Governor by promoting and spreading canards, a central government official said.
The Union ministry action came after Governor CV Ananda Bose submitted a report to it regarding Goyal and Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner (DCP) Central Indira Mukherjee, alleging that they were "functioning in a manner which is completely unbecoming of a public servant", he said.
Bose's report, submitted to the Home Minister in late June, highlighted issues such as Kolkata Police officers preventing victims of post-poll violence from meeting the Governor despite his permission.
"The Union Home Ministry has initiated disciplinary action against the IPS officers based on a detailed report by Bose," the official told PTI. Copies of the letter were sent to the state government on July 4.
The Governor also accused other police officers, posted at the Raj Bhavan, of promoting and encouraging concocted allegations by a woman employee during April-May 2024, the official added.
"These IPS officers through their acts have not only tarnished the office of the Governor but also functioned in a manner which is completely unbecoming of a public servant. They have conveniently chosen to ignore the Conduct Rules," he added.
In his report, Bose mentioned Kolkata Police's alleged new practice of issuing identity cards to Raj Bhavan staff and frisking them upon entry and exit, despite objections from the Governor's office.
"Preventing a delegation of victims of violence from various parts of West Bengal, accompanied by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, from meeting Bose and subsequently detaining them is an affront to the Constitutional authority of the Governor," the official said.
The official noted that it was troubling that the victims had to move court to meet the Governor.
Referring to the Kolkata Police's "total silence" on Bose's June 13 directive to remove the police contingent from Raj Bhavan, the official said, "it was seen as defying orders".
"Since mid-June, Kolkata Police posted at Raj Bhavan unilaterally set up a 'security mechanism' without the Governor's knowledge and consent, effectively placing the entire establishment under 'arrest' and 'watch'," he said.
Bose's report also mentioned that a preliminary internal inquiry found allegations of sexual molestation against him by a former Raj Bhavan employee to be part of a "pre-written script."
"Kolkata Police Commissioner and Indira Mukherjee formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) with unusual speed and continued media briefings to create a false impression that the Governor could face criminal proceedings," the report said.
The report also alleged that Goyal and Mukherjee were instrumental in promoting another 'complaint' from January 2023.
"It was reported that Kolkata Police registered a 'zero FIR' at a local police station and transferred the case to New Delhi. On June 17, 2024, the alleged complainant publicly said she had nothing against the Governor and wanted to withdraw it. However, Kolkata Police did not allow her to do so," the official said.
Bose had written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requesting action against Goyal and Mukherjee, but no steps were taken, nor was there any communication from her office.
Bose also referred to his recent visit to Siliguri to meet victims of Chopra violence, questioning the conduct of some officials in the state.
"Their conduct is not per the All India Services rules and protocol manuals. The state government was duly informed. However, in flagrant violation of protocol, the Darjeeling DM and Siliguri Police Commissioner did not call on the Governor. Unfortunately, this was not a one-off incident. There have been several similar cases of such lapses in the past," he said.
When contacted, Goyal said he had no information about the Union Home Ministry's action.
"I have no information about this. If anything has come, it must have gone to the state government," Goyal told PTI.
Mukherjee echoed Goyal's statement, saying she had not received any information about the matter.
Calls to state Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty went unanswered.
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New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued contempt notices to a litigant and his lawyers for making "scurrilous allegations" against a sitting judge of the Telangana High Court in their plea.
The top court, while issuing the show cause notices to the petitioner and his lawyers, refused to allow withdrawal of the petition, and said, “We cannot permit judges to be out in a box and allow any litigant to make such allegations against a judge. Here we were trying to protect lawyers.”
A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing a transfer plea filed by petitioner N Peddi Raju filed through advocate-on-record Ritesh Patil.
The petition involved a case in which Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had received relief from a high court in a matter under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
“Here we were trying to protect lawyers, but this kind of conduct cannot be condoned,” the bench, which earlier heard another suo motu case pertaining to summoning of lawyers by the ED for rendering legal advice, said.
“Scurrilous allegations have been made against the sitting judge of Telangana High Court. It has been held (in a judgement) that it is not only a litigant but also a lawyer who signs (the petition) is guilty of contempt of court.
“We thus issue notice to Peddi Raju as well as the lawyers … and the AoR. They are directed to state why contempt should not be initiated against them. Notice returnable on August 11,” the CJI said.
A counsel sought the liberty to withdraw the remarks after the court expressed strong displeasure. However, the bench dismissed the request.
“File apology …we will see whether to consider or not. We will see the apology is genuine or not. When we expressed displeasure at the language, liberty was sought to withdraw. We dismissed the request,” the bench said.
The case stems from the Telangana High Court's decision to quash a criminal case registered against the chief minister under the SC/ST Act.
The petitioner later approached the top court with a transfer plea, alleging bias and impropriety on the part of the high court judge.
Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra appeared on behalf of the chief minister.