Andaman gang rape case | SIT questions ex- Chief Secretary for third day

Entrance to the Police Lines station of Andaman and Nicobar Police, at Port Blair. File.
| Photo Credit: PTI

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Andaman and Nicobar Police for the third day on Monday grilled former Chief Secretary Jitendra Narain in reference to the alleged gang rape of a 21-year-old girl, officers stated.

Members of the BJP’s girls wing Mahila Morcha staged protests, holding black flags and placards, on the most important and rear entrances of Police Lines, the place Mr. Narain is being questioned, and raised slogans towards the previous Chief Secretary.

The police, nonetheless, took Mr. Narain via the primary entrance of the Police Lines earlier than protesters gathered and is questioning him since 10.00 a.m.

Mr. Narain was grilled on two days – Friday and Saturday – whereas a homestay in Port Blair was raided on Sunday in reference to the probe. Sampa Banerjee, the BJP Mahila Morcha president of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, stated, “We are protesting such acts by senior bureaucrats in the islands. This is our fight to protect the dignity and respect of our local women.”

“If found guilty, we demand stern action against all those named in the FIR. We demand an impartial probe into the matter by the SIT,” she stated.

The SIT, fashioned to probe the girl’s allegation that she was raped by Mr. Narain and others after being lured to the Chief Secretary’s residence with the promise of a authorities job, on Sunday performed a search operation, together with a forensic staff, at a homestay in Dollygunj locality of Port Blair to gather some proof.

The survivor had accompanied the SIT staff. The room the place she was taken by the homestay’s proprietor was examined by the investigators.

Apart from Mr. Narain, Labour Commissioner R.L. Rishi, a police inspector and the homestay’s proprietor have been named within the police case lodged in reference to the gang rape.

The staff was seen popping out of the homestay with envelopes however refused to disclose any data concerning it.

Mr. Narain is unlikely to go away Port Blair until November 4 because the airport on the island will stay shut from November 1 due to runway restore works.

The former Chief Secretary is being saved at a non-public resort. He arrived right here to face questioning following a Calcutta High Court order.

The FIR was registered on October 1 when Mr. Narain was posted because the chairman and managing director of the Delhi Financial Corporation. The Centre suspended him on October 17.

The girl claimed that as her father and stepmother didn’t deal with her monetary wants, she wanted a job and was launched by some folks to the labour commissioner as he was near the then Chief Secretary.

She alleged within the FIR that the chief secretary appointed “7,800 candidates” in numerous departments within the administration of the islands “on the basis of recommendation only” and with none “formal interview”.

The girl alleged that she was lured to the chief secretary’s house with the promise of a authorities job, after which raped there on April 14 and May 1.

A trip Bench of the Calcutta High Court comprising Justices Bibek Chaudhuri and Prasenjit Biswas has granted interim safety from arrest to Mr. Narain until a date that might be fastened by the circuit Bench in Port Blair on November 14, on its first date of sitting after the Durga Puja trip.

The court docket additionally famous that Mr. Narain, who was transferred to Delhi on July 21, has declared that he’s prepared and keen to cooperate with the investigation.