Indian governor resigns after womanising claims

It was alleged that 'young ladies come and go at will on direct orders of the governor'

NEW DELHI: The governor of an Indian state has resigned after dozens of his staff signed a petition calling for his removal, alleging that he is a serial womaniser.

V Shanmuganathan, 67, handed in his notice as governor of Meghalaya late Thursday after the petition went viral on the internet and his resignation was formally accepted by President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday.

The petition, which was addressed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and signed by 80 employees at Shanmuganathan's official residence, accused him of running a "young ladies club" at Governor's House.



"Young ladies come and go at will on direct orders of the governor... many of them have direct access to his bedroom," the petition claimed, according to a copy of the letter posted online by local media.

He reshuffled the staff and "made only all the young girls to work for him", the petition claimed, adding his "immoral activities" in the state capital Shillong were well known.

Meghalaya is one of seven northeastern states which are rich in natural resources but have been blighted by lack of development