Port Blair/Kolkata. Former Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Jitendra Narayan appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday for questioning in connection with the gang rape allegation against him.
Narayan was taken for questioning through the back door of the police line in Port Blair to save them from the protesters. One of the protesters said that they had committed a heinous crime against the woman. We want the woman to get justice. The protesters also carried placards on which ‘rape’ was written for Narayan.
Senior officer Narayan reached Port Blair on the orders of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday. He was taken from the airport to the police lines amid heavy security. Narayan did not respond to questions from reporters waiting at the airport.
It may be mentioned that on October 1, a complaint was lodged by a 21-year-old woman at the Aberdeen Police Station in Port Blair that Narayan and others allegedly gang-raped her between April 14 and May 1. The SIT is probing the case on the basis of these allegations.
The woman alleges that she was called to the then chief secretary’s house on the pretext of giving her a government job and was raped by top officials.
A vacation bench of Justices Vivek Choudhary and Prasenjit Biswas also granted interim relief from arrest to Narayan till the date which is decided by the Circuit Bench of Calcutta High Court at Port Blair to begin after the end of Durga Puja holidays on November 14. To be fixed during the regular working hours.
The High Court noted that Narayan, who was transferred to Delhi on July 21, has also declared that he is willing to cooperate in the investigation. The court said that there is an urgent need to investigate the matter. The bench allowed the SIT to inquire into the matter and take other steps including medical examination of the accused during interrogation.
Narayan’s house was raided on October 18 by a joint team of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Delhi Police, following which he had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking anticipatory transit transit bail.
A single bench of the Delhi High Court granted him interim relief from arrest till October 28. After this, he filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court requesting to extend the period of this relief. Narayan argued that the next Circuit Bench at Port Blair would start work from November 14, so till then he should be given relief so that he gets an opportunity to file anticipatory bail before the Andaman and Nicobar court.