Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court ordered West Bengal chief minister and Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and three of her party leaders on Tuesday not to make defamatory statements against governor CV Ananda Bose.Justice Krishna Rao passed the order he had reserved on Monday after hearing the arguments into the defamation suit filed by the governor against the CM for her controversial comments that the Raj Bhavan has become unsafe for women to visit in wake of molestation slur on Mr Bose.Apart from Ms Banerjee, two newly-elected TMC MLAs, Sayantika Banerjee and Rayat Hossain Sarkar, and party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, who were included in the suit later for echoing the CM, also come under the purview of the interim HC order till August 14.Welcoming the HC order, Mr Bose said, “Truth will triumph. We shall pray God throws light on the path of Mamata Banerjee.” In his order, Justice Rao ruled, “The plaintiff is a Constitutional Authority. He 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 is pending before the Court of law.”He also observed, “This Court if of the view that in appropriate cases where the Court is of the view that the statements have been made in reckless manner in order to cause injury to the reputation of the plaintiff, the Court would be justified in granting injunction. 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.”According to the judge, ”In the present case, admittedly the plaintiff is a Constitutional Authority. The allegation made against the plaintiff is pending before the appropriate Court but even, paper publication is made by making allegation against the plaintiff. Considering the above circumstances, this Court finds that the plaintiff has made out a prima facie case and balance of convenience are in favour of the plaintiff and at this stage, an interim order is not granted and the defendants are permitted to continue making defamatory statement against the plaintiff, the plaintiff will further suffer irreparable loss and injury of his reputation.”He added, “In view of the above, the defendants are restrained form making any defamatory or incorrect statement against the plaintiff by way of publication and on social platforms till 14th August, 2024.”
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