The Calcutta High Court ordered Jitendra Narain, a former chief secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to appear before a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by October 28 in order to further investigate allegations of gang rape against him.
Narain was given temporary protection from arrest by a vacation bench made up of justices Bibek Chaudhuri and Prasenjit Biswas until a date that would be set by the circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court in Port Blair on November 14 at its first sitting after the Puja vacation.
On the basis of a FIR submitted at Aberdeen Police Station in Port Blair on October 1, the SIT was established to look into a 21-year-old woman’s accusation that she was gang-raped by the former chief secretary and others on April 14 and May 1. The woman claimed that top officials at the chief secretary’s home had raped her after luring her there with the promise of a government job.
The court also took note of Narain’s declaration that he is prepared and willing to cooperate with the investigation. Narain was moved to Delhi on July 21.
The Bench gave the SIT permission to question the petitioner and take any additional actions, such as having the petitioner examined medically, during the questioning process.
On September 30, the complainant submitted a request to the Aberdeen Police Station in Port Blair, which served as the foundation for the FIR. On October 18, Mr. Narain’s home was raided by a combined team of police officials from Delhi and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Mr. Narain then filed a petition with the Delhi High Court asking for transit anticipatory bail. Mr. Narain was given temporary protection from arrest until October 28 by a single Delhi High Court bench.
On October 21, the division bench made up of justices Chaudhuri and Biswas gave permission to both the petitioner and the prosecution to bring the case before the circuit bench on November 14, the day of its first sitting following vacation, with a request to set a date for the application’s hearing.
The court instructed, “Until that day, the petitioner is granted interim protection against arrest.” The SIT was established to look into claims that top officials in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands enticed a 21-year-old lady there with the promise of a position in the government before raping her.
The Court said that the SIT was free to question the petitioner and take any additional actions, such as having him or her examined medically while being questioned.
