Former chief secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Jitendra Narain on Friday appeared before a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for questioning over charges of gangrape against him, news agency PTI reported. The SIT is probing accusations by a 21-year-old woman who alleged that she was gang-raped by Narain and others on April 14 and May 1.
The senior official was taken to Police Lines in Port Blair through a rear entrance. He was brought to Port Blair on Thursday following a Calcutta High Court order.
An FIR was registered at Aberdeen Police Station in Port Blair on October 1 on the woman’s complaint who alleged that she was lured to the chief secretary’s home with the promise of a government job, and then raped by top officials there.
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A vacation bench comprising justices Bibek Chaudhuri and Prasenjit Biswas granted him interim protection from arrest till a date that will be fixed by the circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court in Port Blair on November 14.
The bench had also allowed the SIT to probe and undertake other necessary measures such as medical examination of the petitioner.
On October 18, a joint team of police officers from Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Delhi had raided his house, following which he filed an application before the Delhi High Court praying for transit anticipatory bail, which granted the former chief secretary interim protection from arrest till October 28.
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Following this, he had filed an application before the Calcutta High Court asking for time extension on the ground that the next circuit bench at Port Blair will start from November 14, and he would get an opportunity to apply for anticipatory bail before it.