Andaman ex-chief secretary's pre-arrest bail plea rejected in gang-rape case

A local court on Thursday rejected the anticipatory bail application of former Andaman and Nicobar chief secretary Jitendra Narain in a gang rape case.

Soon after the verdict, a team of policemen reached a private resort where Narain is staying and took him to the Police Line amid heavy security.

A special investigation team questioned Narain, a senior IAS officer, thrice in connection with the case.

The SIT was constituted to probe allegations that a 21-year-old woman in Andaman and Nicobar Islands was lured to the chief secretary's home by promising a government job and then raped by top officials including Narain there.

Seeking anticipatory bail for Narain, his counsel Deep Kabir submitted that the former chief secretary was cooperating with the investigation and should be granted the relief.

District and sessions judge Subhashis Kumar Kar wondered on what ground he should get it as the pre-arrest bail plea of two other accused in the case were rejected earlier, according to the victim's lawyer Phatick Chandra Das.

The judge was referring to labour commissioner RL Rishi and businessman Sandeep Singh alias Rinku. Rishi was also accused of raping the woman while Singh's name was mentioned in the FIR as an accomplice in the crime.

As Narain was the chief secretary of the islands for a considerable period and “his power and position cannot be equated with a man of common strata,” the judge said.

“... the need of custodial interrogation of the present petitioner cannot be ruled out for the interest of the proper and impartial investigation,” the order read.

The FIR was registered on October 1 when Narain was posted as the chairman and managing director of the Delhi Financial Corporation. The government suspended him on October 17 with immediate effect.

The Andaman and Nicobar Police on November 2 announced a reward of Rs one lakh each for information leading to the arrest of Rishi and Singh. Both are absconding.