Senior IAS officer Jitendra Narain, accused of raping a 21-year-old woman in Andaman, suspended

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday (October 17, 2022) suspended senior IAS officer Jitendra Narain, who is accused of raping a woman in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with immediate effect. Narain, who is presently posted as the chairman and managing director of the Delhi Financial Corporation, was suspended after Union Home Minister Amit Shah directed immediate strict action against him. In an official statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it received a report on October 16, 2022, from the Andaman and Nicobar Police regarding the alleged "sexual assault" of a lady by Narain, the then Chief Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and others.

"As the Report indicated the possibility of grave misconduct and misuse of the official position on the part of Jitendra Narain, IAS (AGMUT:1990), the Union Home Minister directed to take immediate strict action against the officer concerned as per law," the statement read.

Accordingly, disciplinary proceedings have also been ordered against Narain, the statement said.

"The Government is committed to ensuring zero tolerance towards the acts of indiscipline by its officials irrespective of their rank and status, especially with regard to incidents involving the dignity of women," it added.

An FIR has also been registered and action in the criminal case is being taken separately by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Andaman and Nicobar Police.

The 21-year-old was promised a govt job

The SIT was constituted to probe allegations that a 21-year-old woman in Andaman and Nicobar Islands was lured to the chief secretary's home by promising a government job and then raped by top officials there. The police registered a case earlier this month after the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Port Blair ordered its filing based on a petition by the young woman.

The court which took cognisance of the complaint accusing the then chief secretary of the island Jitendra Narain and a labour commissioner RL Rishi of raping the woman besides naming a police officer and hotel owner as among accomplices in the crime also ordered the probe on August 30.

The woman alleged she "was gang raped" by the two officials after she met them for a job.

She said as her father and stepmother did not take care of her financial needs, she needed a job and was introduced by some people to the labour commissioner as he was close to the then chief secretary.

The woman claimed that the chief secretary appointed "7,800 candidates" in various departments in the administration of the islands "on the basis of recommendation only" and without any "formal interview".

The woman lodged the complaint with the police on August 21 in which she gave a detailed account of the alleged sexual attack on her twice - on April 14 and May 1 - and requested that the CCTV footage of the then chief secretary's residence be preserved as evidence.

She has also requested a Test Identification Parade of the employees - a cook and a driver - present at the chief secretary's residence.

The then CS also threatened her to finish her and her family members if she revealed to anyone what had happened to her, she alleged.

She has also filed a separate complaint with the police against a local journalist, who allegedly gave hints about her identity and a police officer for leaking information about the case.

(With agency inputs)