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Synopsis

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed the bail granted to former chief secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jitendra Narain, in a rape case filed against him by a 21- year-old woman.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah dismissed the pleas challenging the order passed by the Port Blair circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court on February 20.

Pronouncing the order, Justice Nath said, “We have dismissed all the petitions. Further, we have provided that there was some apprehension expressed by the survivor. So, we have directed the Union Territory administration to deal with any complaint made by her. We have also directed the trial court to expedite the trial and all parties to cooperate”.

The bench also said the high court was right in not dealing with respective arguments because it would affect the trial of the case. Earlier, the court had reserved its verdict on petitions filed by the State challenging the bail granted to Narain.

A special investigation team (SIT) had investigated the allegation that the woman was lured to the chief secretary's residence on the promise of a government job and raped by multiple people, including Narain. 

Narain was arrested in November last year after an FIR was registered on October 1, 2022 when he was posted as the chairman and managing director of the Delhi Financial Corporation.

He was subsequently suspended by the government on October 17, 2022. The prosecution claimed the chargesheet filed against Narain, businessman Sandeep Singh alias Rinku and suspended labour commissioner Rishishwarlal Rishi was based on the statements of nearly 90 witnesses, forensic reports and electronic evidence.

The accused were charged under IPC sections 376 (punishment for rape), 376C, 376D, 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc. with intent to commit an offence) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).