The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed pleas against the bail granted to former Andaman Chief Secretary Jitendra Narain in an alleged gang-rape case, reports The Indian Express.
Narain was granted bail by the Port Blair circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court on February 20.
An apex court bench comprising of Justices Vikram Nath and A Amanullah said also directed the trial court to expedite the trial, in which all cooperation will be extended by the respective parties.
The top court delivered its verdict on the appeals filed by the state and the complainant woman against the bail that was granted by the High Court.
Following the bail, she had moved the apex court saying that “unless the bail order of February 20, 2023 is quashed and/or set aside and stayed, unless the principal accused is directed to surrender before the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Port Blair and unless the police authority is directed to take the principal accused (Narain) into custody”, he may destroy evidence taking advantage of the bail.
The 21-year-old woman had alleged that she was raped by Narain and others after being lured to the former chief secretary’s residence with the promise of a government job. Along with Narain, Labour Commissioner R L Rishi is also accused of sexual assault and gangrape, IE reported.
Narain is a 1990-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. He was posted as the chief secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the alleged incident.
He was arrested on November 10 last year, after an FIR was registered on October 1, 2022, when he was posted as chairman and managing director of the Delhi Financial Corporation. He was suspended on October 17 last year.