Yesterday, the Supreme court of India issued a plea challenging bail granted to the former chief secretary of Andaman and Nicobar, Jitendra Narain. The plea was submitted by a woman who is also the victim of the gang rape case. The dual bench of Justices Krishna Murari and Ahsanuddin Amanullah issued notice on the plea, which contended that the Calcutta High Court Circuit Bench at Port Blair granted bail to the accused IAS officer “in a very casual manner” without considering the woman’s objections.

The petitioner said that the accused Jitendra Narain raped her in April-May 2022 after luring her with the promise of a government job. Further, she mentioned that no FIR was registered and it was only after she lodged a complaint before a magistrate court that an FIR was filed on October 1, 2022.

Narain had by this time taken over as the chairman of the Delhi Financial Corporation. Last year in the month of October, Delhi High Court granted interim protection from arrest and thereafter, he approached Calcutta High Court Circuit Bench at Port Blair seeking an extension of time. The Bench asked him to appear before the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case.

In November, the Andaman court rejected his plea following which Narain was taken into custody. Circuit Bench of the High Court rejected multiple bail applications of the accused and later, in February, Narain was granted bail.