Meghalaya governor accused of molesting woman under pretext of job

GUWAHATI/AGARTALA: A women has accused Meghalaya governor V Shanmuganathan of molesting her under the pretext of giving her a job. The governor, also in charge of Arunachal Pradesh, has denied the allegation.

The woman told the local media on Monday that the governor had called for an interview for the post of public relations officer (PRO) on December 7 last year. The Shillong Raj Bhavan had not informed her that another candidate — Emordini Thangkhiew — had already been appointed as PRO that day, she said. “The interview took place in a fancy room of the Raj Bhavan, and no staffer was present at the time. The governor made advances and offered me a part time or full time job. I just felt so violated,” she said.

Shanmuganathan admitted the Raj Bhavan had conducted interviews in the first week of December but denied making physical overtures or complementing the interviewee inappropriately.

“We selected only one person, and because others were not, they should not say such things,” he said.

The ‘victim’ has not filed any complaint, but the state’s director general of police, SB Singh, said the matter had been referred to the government and legal opinion was being sought.

Meanwhile in Tripura, governor Tathagata Roy angered the Left Front government by tweeting that communism and fascism were two sides of the same coin.

The interview took place in a fancy room of the Raj Bhavan, and no staffer was present. The governor made advances and offered me a parttime or fulltime job. I just felt so violated.