SC junks pleas against HC order to grant bail to Andaman official in rape case

The Supreme on 24 August rejected submissions against the bail granted to the former chief secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands named Jitendra Narain in a gangrape case. The bail granted to him by the Calcutta High Court bench in Port Blair on 20 February was challenged by the state and the complainant woman in the appeals.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah ruled, “We have dismissed all the petitions.” According to the apex court, it has ordered the trial court to accelerate the hearing in which the respective sides would extend their cooperation.

The appellant woman has alleged that the accused and others raped her after luring her to the residence of the former chief secretary with the prospect of a government position. The appeals against his bail in the case brought by her were still pending when the Supreme Court issued its decision on 1 August.

The victim went to the highest court and charged that “unless the bail order of February 20, 2023, is quashed and/or set aside and stayed, unless the principal accused is directed to surrender before the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Port Blair and unless the police authority is directed to take the principal accused (Narain) into custody” he might destroy evidence and misuse the bail.

The accusation that the Calcutta High Court Circuit Bench in Port Blair granted bail to the accused IAS official “in a very casual manner” without taking into account her objections prompted a notice from a bench of Justices Krishna Murari and Ahsanuddin Amanullah on the 21-year-old’s plea.

Her attorney Pathick Chandra Das argued, “Narain was given conditional bail. Among the conditions is that he cannot enter Andaman and Nicobar Island unless called for, he will not use officers to influence the witness, he cannot make phone calls to any officers and the victim party, he will deposit his passport and cannot leave India.”

When he was appointed chairman and managing director of the Delhi Financial Corporation on 1 October 2022, a First Information Report was initiated and the centre suspended him on 17 October. He was apprehended on 10 November of that year.