Police, women’s panel, Govt want to treat it as closed chapter
SHILLONG: The State Government is not keen to probe the Raj Bhavan scandal and wants to be treated as a matter that ended after the resignation of Governor V. Shanmuganathan.
Earlier, the UDP leader and former deputy chief minister in charge law Bindo Lanong said since Shanmuganathan is no longer protected after his resignation, the police should proceed with the case.
As per the Article 361 of the Constitution, a governor enjoys immunity or protection only when he is in office.
However, neither the State police nor the Meghalaya State Commission for Women took any suo motu steps to probe the scandal.
When contacted, a senior police official said the matter is yet to be considered.
Though the chairperson of the Meghalaya State Commission for Women, Theilin Phanbuh, consulted legal experts, including the Advocate General, there is no move on the part of the commission to proceed with its own investigation. “We have not decided anything on the matter,” Phanbuh said.
The media persons on Wednesday met Chief Secretary K.S Kropha who did not want to comment anything on the controversies surrounding Raj Bhavan.
“I have great respect for the institution of the office of the Governor” was the only comment made by the chief secretary.
Last week, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said he had apprised the Centre of the matter, even as he did not make any commitment that a probe would be ordered.
Though the two victims, who applied for interview for the post of Public Relations Officer had admitted that the Governor had hugged and kissed them during the personal interview with him last December, they neither came forward to file an FIR nor met the Women’s Commission to establish that it was a case of molestation.
However, this gave fodder to the Raj Bhavan staff to shoot a complaint letter to the Prime Minister narrating other anomalies under the Governor.