The woman says that she was looking for a job while Narain, ex-Andaman Chief Secretary of A&N Islands, denied the allegations.
An IAS officer of the 1990 batch, who was Andaman Chief Secretary of A&N Islands, has been accused of sexual assault and gang rape by a 21-year-old woman in Port Blair.
An FIR was lodged at the Aberdeen police station in Port Blair, on October 1, in response to her complaint on August 22 to the Director General of Police, A&N Islands. Police have set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate this case.
The head of SIT is a senior superintendent of police, and the protection has been given to the women.
Jitendra Narain
Jitendra Narain, who was Andaman Chief Secretary until three months ago, when the alleged incident occurred. On the other hand, R L Rishi was posted as Labour Commissioner in A&N Islands, who are now the two accused of rape of the victim.
Narain is currently the Chairman & Managing Director of the Delhi Financial Corporation. He denied the charges and sent a “detailed representation” to the Prime Minister’s office and the Union Home Secretary, according to the sources. When he was contacted in New Delhi and asked a question, he just said that he would not like to comment on these allegations.
Rishi was unavailable for comment because he was on “medical leave.”
Complaint made by woman
In the FIR (No. 165/2022), the complainant has asked Narain’s house CCTV footage should be collected and the staff that she identifies should also be interrogated.
She was sexually abused on two occasions at night, in April and May at Narain’s official residence in Port Blair, according to the woman’s complaint filed. The woman has said that she was in search of a job, so was introduced to the Labour Commissioner through a hotel owner, and later the Commissioner took her to the Chief Secretary’s residence. There she was offered liquor, which she refused. She alleged that she was sexually abused by the two men.
Two weeks later, she was again summoned by them to the Chief Secretary’s residence at 9 pm and the sexual assault was repeated. They refused to give government job, and she was threatened to not disclose the matter to anyone.
The SIT team set up for this case
The SIT team has got a new office and will handle the case in a “fair and time-bound” manner. A confessional statement of the woman has to be recorded by the SIT as well as by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, according to Section 164 CrPC in Port Blair, where she filed a second complaint.
Victim will appeal for the Section 164 statement to be recorded again via video-conferencing as a “precaution.”
The investigation has also been widened because of the role of a local news channel reporter, who is alleged to have broadcast hints about the woman’s identity and also that the police inspector has leaked case information.
This happened after a separate police complaint was filed by the woman about how her identity was being disclosed via members of the local media.
Narain has claimed in his written denials that the allegations are at the behest of local
Authorities and that he would fully cooperate with the police.
