The Centre’s Narendra Modi government on Monday suspended senior IAS officer Jitendra Narain after he was accused of raping a woman in Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
His suspension came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah directed immediate strict action against Narain.
A statement by the MHA read, ” The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), today placed Sh. Jitendra Narain, a senior IAS officer of AGMUT Cadre under suspension with immediate effect.
“The Ministry received a report on 16.10.2022 from Andaman & Nicobar Police regarding the alleged sexual assault of a lady by Sh. Jitendra Narain, IAS (AGMUT:1990), the then Chief Secretary, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and others. As the Report indicated the possibility of grave misconduct and misuse of official position on the part of Sh. Jitendra Narain, IAS (AGMUT:1990), the Union Home Minister directed to take immediate strict action against the officer concerned as per law.”
The statement added, “Accordingly, Sh. Jitendra Narain, IAS (AGMUT:1990) has been placed under suspension with immediate effect and disciplinary proceedings have been ordered against him.
“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. An FIR has been registered and action in the criminal case is being taken separately by the SIT of Andaman & Nicobar Police.”
Who Is IAS Officer Jitendra Narain?
Born on 19 October, 1966, Narain hails from the famous Raibahadur family of Begusarai in Bihar. According to the PSU Watch website, he did his schooling from St. Paul, Darjeeling before acquiring his BA and MA in History degrees from St Stephens, Delhi University.
Narain is a 1990-batch IAS officer and joined as chief secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Island in March 2021. He was currently posted as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Delhi Financial Corporation when the MHA ordered his supension.
He’s also worked for several years in the Delhi government under the Sheila Dikshit government in the past.
Children, Wife, Salary
According to reports, a 21-year-old woman had accused Narain of raping her along with her associates, all government officers in April and May this year. She had requested the police to retain the CCTV footage of Narain’s residence for evidence.
Based on her complaint, the Aberdeen police station in Port Blair registered a case on 1 October against Narain and RL Rishi, who was posted as labour commissioner in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Not much is known about his wife and children, but Narain is believed to be earning close to Rs. 1.5 lakh as monthly salary. This does not include the official accommodation, car and other benefits provided to a senior civil servant.
