Guwahati: The Bar Association of Sikkim has called on President Droupadi Murmu to defer the swearing-in ceremony of Governor-designate Dushyant Kumar Gautam until concerns linked to the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand are addressed.
The Governor-designate is scheduled to take the oath on October 19.
The association sent its request to Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 18, seeking a temporary halt to the appointment process while the allegations are scrutinised, calls for a probe are considered and the appropriate authorities determine the matter.
In the submission signed by its general secretary, the association said the issue had implications for the credibility of constitutional institutions. It also called for people appointed to senior public positions to be held to high standards of integrity.
The association said it was not declaring the Governor-designate guilty. Since the case remains subject to judicial consideration, it said its intervention should not be taken as a verdict on the allegations.
It argued that the controversy surrounding the appointment warranted reconsideration of the planned oath-taking date.
The submission drew attention to two constitutional provisions. Article 159 sets out the formal pledge a Governor must take before assuming the post, while Article 361 establishes certain immunities for the President and Governors, including protection from criminal proceedings while they remain in office.
The association argued that allowing the appointment to proceed before the allegations are resolved might hinder investigative work and create doubts about the independence and transparency of a probe. It further warned that the controversy could undermine public confidence in the impartiality of the Governor’s office, which is to be called Lok Bhavan.
It has asked the President to stop the October 19 ceremony from going ahead and retain the appointment warrant until the Governor-designate is cleared by the relevant investigative authorities.
According to the association, this would help preserve the standing of constitutional institutions and public trust in Sikkim’s system of governance.
The association has also circulated copies of its submission to the Sikkim Chief Minister, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Union Home Minister and the Sikkim Chief Secretary.