Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court Tuesday restrained West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and three others from making any defamatory or incorrect statement against Governor CV Ananda Bose.
In an interim order, Justice Krishna Rao said the matter will be heard again August 14.
Bose had filed a defamation suit against Banerjee, two newly-elected TMC MLAs Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar and party leader Kunal Ghosh.
Speaking on an imbroglio over oath-taking of the two new MLAs, Banerjee had made certain comments, over which the governor moved the defamation suit before the high court.
He also prayed for an interim order restraining them from making any further comment in connection with alleged incidents at Raj Bhavan.
A row had triggered over the venue of the swearing-in ceremony of two newly elected TMC MLAs last month, as they wanted to be taken oath in the assembly, while the governor was in favour of holding it in Raj Bhavan.
Justice Krishna Rao restrained Banerjee and the three others from “making any defamatory or incorrect statement against the plaintiff (Bose) by way of publication and on social platforms till August 14, 2024.”
The court directed Banerjee and the three others to file their affidavit in opposition within two weeks and reply by Bose to these within one week thereafter.
Justice Rao directed that the matter will be taken up for hearing on August 14 again.
Banerjee’s lawyer Sanjay Basu said in a statement that the order of the court will be challenged before a higher bench.
Hearing for the prayer for interim order was concluded on Monday and the order was reserved by the court.
“If at this stage, an interim order is not granted it would give the free hands to the defendants to continue making defamatory statements against the plaintiff and continue to tarnish the reputation of the plaintiff,” Justice Rao observed in the order.
The governor being a Constitutional Authority “cannot meet the personal attacks being made by the defendants against him by taking the benefit of social media platform.
“The defendants had the knowledge that the criminal complaint initiated against the plaintiff (Bose) is pending before the Court of law,” the court observed.
“If at this stage, an interim order is not granted it would give the free hands to the defendants to continue making defamatory statements against the plaintiff and continue to tarnish the reputation of the plaintiff,” Justice Rao observed in the order.
Her counsel told the court on Monday that she stood by her statement as it involved public interest.
PTI