The 29-year-old woman who lodged a complaint of harassment against governor C.V. Ananda Bose on May 2 has appealed to her colleagues and senior officials of Raj Bhavan to “listen to your heart once, break the shackles of hesitation and fear” and help her get justice, sources in Raj Bhavan said.
In a communication sent via email and WhatsApp to more than 100 Raj Bhavan staff, everyone from senior officials to pantry staff, the woman urged them to speak the truth against her alleged harasser.
The message was also sent to the official email ID of the governor on May 13, Raj Bhavan sources said.
According to a Raj Bhavan official, the appeal said: “Think for a moment about your own family members, your loved ones, your children, or your siblings. Imagine if they were in the shoes of the victims.... Would you want someone to hide the truth and enable the abuse to continue, even then?”
Sources in Raj Bhavan said none of the staff has responded to the email or the WhatsApp message sent to them.
“Some have deleted the message out of fear. People are scared of losing their jobs or their accommodation if they open their mouths. Some could not understand the meaning as it was long and written in English,” said a Raj Bhavan staffer.
The communication that was sent to the staff mentioned that the victim was “deeply troubled” and concerned about the actions of some colleagues with whom she worked for so many years.
“By hiding the truth, spreading harmful lies and shielding the molester, they are perpetuating a cycle of harm and injustice,” the woman wrote.
The woman had lodged a police complaint on May 2, following which governor Bose had issued a gag order on all Raj Bhavan staff and told them not to speak to the police or participate in the investigation.
Although 11 Raj Bhavan staff were summoned by the police, none of them appeared before the enquiry team to assisting the probe into the allegations.
The woman in her communication urged her colleagues to speak the truth and said: “The world outside of the Raj Bhavan is ready to welcome you and salute you once you speak for justice. I pray before you to come forward to: Stop hiding the truth, Cease spreading harmful lies, Hold the molester accountable
(and) Support the victims and their families.”
The police have drawn up an FIR against three Raj Bhavan staffers for alleged wrongful restraint of the woman and stopping her from going out of the building and lodging a police complaint.
The woman told Metro: “I was pained to see that none of my colleagues came forward to cooperate with the police investigation. Some were also spreading rumours about me to malign my character under the instructions of some seniors in Raj Bhavan. This was an appeal to all the people I have worked with to support the truth.”
A text message sent to governor Bose and emails sent to the governor’s official ID and that of his secretary seeking a reaction to the complainant’s communication to Raj Bhavan staff and to the governor (on his email ID) did not yield a response till Saturday night.
