The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted transit anticipatory bail to suspended Indian Administrative Service officer Jitendra Narain in a rape case till October 28, reported Bar and Bench.
A transit anticipatory bail is granted for a short duration for an offence regsitered in a different state. It allows an applicant to approach the court, where the case has been filed, to seek regular bail.
In this case, the transit anticipatory bail was allowed as Narain, before his suspension, was the chairperson and managing director of the Delhi Financial Corporation. But, since the offence is registered in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the court said that he can present his case to the circuit bench there.
On August 21, a 21-year-old woman complained to the police that Narain raped her in April and May when he was the chief secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The first information report was filed on October 1 by the Port Blair Police. The Centre suspended Narain on October 17, with Home Minister Amit Shah demanding strict action against Narain.
On Thursday, Narain said that the allegations of rape were “false, motivated and malicious,” reported The Indian Express. He said that on the dates – when the rape allegedly took place – he was not in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but in Delhi, Bar and Bench reported. Therefore, it shows that the complaint is motivated, he added.
Advocates Vikas Pahwa and Gaurav Gupta appearing for Narain told the High Court that the first information report against him was registered based on a complaint by the daughter-in-law of a person who was removed from service after the bureaucrat had passed an order imposing a minor penalty on him.
The court said that it would be inappropriate to consider allegations or counter-allegations at this stage as it may prejudice both parties involved in the case.
Meanwhile, the complainant has asked the police to preserve the closed-circuit television camera footage from Narain’s residence, which could be used as evidence. She has also requested a test identification parade of the employees who were present at Narain’s home when she was allegedly sexually abused.
In a test identification parade, witnesses who claim to have seen the crime are made to identify the accused person amid a group of people without any help.
A Special Investigation Team is also conducting an inquiry into the matter.
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