Port Blair gangrape allegations against ex-Chief Secy: SIT files chargesheet

Police said the SIT “conducted a thorough investigation examining around 90 witnesses and collected various electronic, technical and biological evidences.”

They added: “The electronic and biological evidence have been sent to Forensic Lab for examination. SIT has professionally investigated the case and used scientific methods and techniques including use of biological, electronic and technical evidence.”

The chargesheet has been filed under several Sections of the IPC including 376 (rape), 354 (assault to outrage modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation), 328 (causing hurt by intoxication, poison) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy).

On October 15, The Indian Express had first reported that two serving bureaucrats, Narain and R L Rishi, Labour Commissioner in A&N Islands, were accused of sexual assault and gangrape by the woman.

Based on her complaint, an FIR was lodged at the Aberdeen police station in Port Blair on October 1 last year against Narain and Rishi.

Both were suspended and subsequently arrested by A&N Police.

When contacted in New Delhi before his arrest, Narain had said he would not like to comment on the “absurd” allegations. Sources close to him had said he sent a “detailed representation” to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Union Home Secretary, among others, denying the charges.

In the FIR, the complainant asked that CCTV footage from Narain’s house be collected and that she would identify his staff who should also be questioned.

The woman’s complaint gives a detailed account of the violent sexual attack on her on two occasions at night in April and May last year at Narain’s official residence in Port Blair.

In her complaint, the woman has said that in search of a job, she was introduced to Rishi through a hotel owner Sandeep Singh and the Commissioner took her to the residence of the Chief Secretary.

There, she said, she was offered liquor which she refused and was assured of a job in the government. Subsequently, she alleged, she was brutally and sexually abused by the two men.

Two weeks later, she alleged in the complaint, she was again called at 9 pm by them to the Chief Secretary’s residence and the assault was repeated. Instead of the promised job, she alleged, she was threatened with dire consequences if she spoke about the matter to anyone,

Narain has reportedly claimed, in his written denials, that the accusations were at the behest of local officers against whom he had taken action as Chief Secretary.