Former chief secretary Jitendra Narain was grilled for the third day by Andaman and Nicobar Police and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) instituted to investigate the alleged gang rape of a 21-year-old woman in the union territory. After being questioned on two consecutive days, Friday and Saturday, the suspended 1990-batch IAS officer was grilled once again after a homestay in Port Blair was raided on Sunday in connection with the probe.
What happened in Andaman and Nicobar?
Earlier in the month, a woman in Andaman and Nicobar alleged that she was lured to then-Andaman chief secretary Jitendra Narain's home with the promise of a government job, and then raped there on April 14 and May 1.
An FIR was registered against Narain on October 1 when he was posted as the chairman and managing director of the Delhi Financial Corporation. The Centre suspended him on October 17.
The woman has also claimed that as her father and stepmother did not take care of her financial needs, she needed a job and was introduced by some people to the labour commissioner as he was close to the then chief secretary. She also alleged in the FIR that the chief secretary appointed "7,800 candidates" in various departments in the administration of the islands "on the basis of recommendation only" and without any "formal interview".
Investigation so far:
An SIT has been formed to probe the woman's allegations. On Sunday, the team conducted a search operation, along with a forensic team, at a homestay in Dollygunj locality of Port Blair to collect some evidence. The survivor had accompanied the SIT team. The room where she was taken by the homestay's owner was examined by the investigators.
Apart from Narain, Labour Commissioner R L Rishi, a police inspector and the homestay's owner have been named in the police case lodged in connection with the gang rape.
A vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court comprising justices Bibek Chaudhuri and Prasenjit Biswas has granted interim protection from arrest to Narain till a date that will be fixed by the circuit bench in Port Blair on November 14, on its first date of sitting after the Durga Puja vacation.
The court also noted that Narain, who was transferred to Delhi on July 21, has declared that he is ready and willing to cooperate with the investigation.
On Monday, Andaman and Nicobar authorities moved Supreme Court against Narain's anticipatory bail and claimed he had "tampered with evidence" in the case.
Who is Jitendra Narain?
Born in October 1966 to the influential Raibahadur family in Bihar's Begusarai, Narain became a an IAS officer in 1990 and was appointed as the chief secretary of Andaman and Nicobar islands in March this year. Narain's family is known to be a traditional Congress supporter. The accusations against him have led to protests by BJP Mahila Samiti leaders.
(With inputs from PTI)
