Suspended Andaman and Nicobar Labour Commissioner R L Rishi, accused of gang-raping a 21-year-woman, was arrested on Monday in connection with the case. The Andaman and Nicobar police took him into custody, after he arrived in Port Blair from Chennai abroad a flight around 1 PM on Monday, police said, as reported by news agency PTI.
Rishi has been absconding for over a month.
This is the third arrest in the Port Blair sex-for-job racket, including A&N chief secretary Jitendra Narain and Sandeep Singh alias Rinku, a Port Blair-based businessman. While Narain, who is the prime accused, was arrested by A&N police on November 10, Rinku was arrested from Karnal in Haryana on November 14. On November 2, the A&N police announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh each for providing information on Singh and Rishi.
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A special investigation team (SIT) was constituted to probe allegations by the woman who accused Narain and Rishi of sexual assault and gangrape at the Chief Secretary’s official residence alleging that they had lured her with the promise of a government job. It was Rinku, who had introduced her to the ex-labour commissioner.
On October 1, Narain and Rishi were named in the FIR filed at the Aberdeen police station in Port Blair based on the woman’s complaint. On October 17, Narain was suspended on orders of the Home Ministry, and Rishi was also suspended.
Narain has been interrogated by the SIT thrice.