Nepalese Women Rape Case: India Exploring Options

India was exploring various options to deal with the case of alleged rape of two Nepalese women by a diplomat, a day after he left to Saudi.

NEW DELHI: India was exploring various options to deal with the case of alleged rape of two Nepalese women by a Saudi diplomat, a day after he left the country even as Gurgaon Police said it was continuing the probe to nab other accused.

On its part, Nepal insisted on handing down punishment to the guilty and indicated it will pursue the case.

Official sources said the government was exploring various available options but refused to elaborate.

Gurgaon Police Commissioner Navdeep Singh Virk said investigation into the case was continuing although the diplomat Majed Hassan Ashoor, First Secretary in the Saudi Embassy here, had left India last night.

"The investigation continues, the details of which cannot be shared at this stage," Virk, who is heading the probe, told PTI.

Demanding justice to the victims, Nepal's envoy Deep Upadhaya indicated that his country will pursue the case as he said the criminals must be punished.

"It is our duty to ensure justice to the victims. It is a very, very inhuman issue. Nepal has very friendly relations with Saudi Arabia as well as India... If there has been crime, the criminals should be punished and victims must get justice," he said.

An official in the Nepal embassy said it has received "tremendous" amount of support and cooperation from the government of India and hoped that investigation into the case will continue.

On September 7, Gurgaon Police had conducted a raid at the diplomat's residence after receiving a complaint that two Nepalese women were kept there in confinement and raped by the diplomat and his "guests" repeatedly.

The Saudi Embassy termed the allegations as "false" and protested the police "intrusion" into the diplomat's house, saying it was against "all diplomatic conventions".

"We have learnt that First Secretary Majed Hassan Ashoor, who was allegedly accused of raping two Nepalese women, has left India," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Wednesday night.

The Nepal police yesterday have arrested two persons, including the daughter-in-law of one of the Nepalese maids rescued from the Saudi diplomat's residence in Gurgaon.

 The two men allegedly ran a trafficking racket and sold the women to Indian agents on the pretext of providing them jobs, Nepal police said.

Virk said Gurgaon police had sent separate letters to the External Affairs Ministry on September 9 and 10 requesting for access to the diplomat for questioning.

It is learnt that the MEA had put pressure on the Saudi Embassy to allow the questioning of the diplomat given the gravity of the allegations in the case following which Saudi Arabia decided to withdraw the diplomat.

The External Affairs Ministry had called in Saudi Arabian Ambassador Saud Mohammed Alsati last Thursday and told him that the accused diplomat should cooperate in the probe into the case.

But it did not get any response despite being in touch with the mission officials here for at least a week, sources said.

During the impasse, the diplomat along with his family had shifted to the Saudi Embassy. The two Nepalese women had already gone back to their country.

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