Jitendra Narain
Home ministry suspends senior bureaucrat Jitendra Narain over rape charges
Port Blair/ IBNS: The Centre Monday suspended senior bureaucrat Jitendra Narain after he has been accused of rape by a woman in the Andamans and Nicobar Islands, reports said.
The 21-year-old victim alleged that she was gang-raped by Narain, who was the then Chief Secretary of the islands, and another bureaucrat, RL Rishi.
"The [Home] Ministry received a report on October 16 from Andaman and Nicobar Police regarding the alleged sexual assault of a lady by Jitendra Narain, IAS (AGMUT: 1990), the then Chief Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and others," the government said in a statement.
AGMUT refers to the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territory cadre of the centre's civil services.
"As the report indicated the possibility of grave misconduct and misuse of official position on the part of Jitendra Narain, the Home Minister directed to take immediate strict action against the officer concerned as per law. Accordingly, Jitendra Narain has been placed under suspension with immediate effect and disciplinary proceedings have been ordered against him," the statement said.
The Home Ministry clarified that the centre is committed to ensuring zero tolerance towards acts of indiscipline by its officials irrespective of their rank and status, "especially with regard to incidents involving the dignity of women".
An FIR was lodged earlier this month after the woman alleged that she was gang-raped twice, in April and May this year.
She has asked the police to preserve the CCTV footage, which could be used as evidence, of the property where the former Chief Secretary had been staying.
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