NEW DELHI: The Saudi Arabian diplomat, who had been accused of raping two Nepalese nationals employed as maids, has left the country, Ministry of External Affairs announced on Wednesday.
"We have learnt that the first secretary Majed Hassan Ashoor who was allegedly accused of raping two Nepalese women has left India," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swaroop said, late Wednesday night. This is the first time that the ministry has officially identified Majed’s name.
"The first secretary being a diplomat is governed by the provision of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations," he added.
On Sep 7, Gurgaon police raided the diplomat’s residence, based on a tip-off from a non-governmental organization. They rescued two Nepalese nationals, who narrated their harrowing tale of rape by the diplomat and other ‘guests’. A police complaint was registered.
The Saudi Arabian Embassy termed the allegations as "false" and protested the police "intrusion" into the diplomat's house saying it was against "all diplomatic conventions". Gurgaon police claimed that they did not know that it was a diplomatic residence at the time of the raid.
Last Thursday, the MEA’s chief of protocol Jaideep Mazumdar had called in the Saudi Ambassador Saud Mohammed Alsati and conveyed him the request of the Gurgaon police to “cooperate” in the probe.
Due to diplomatic immunity, the police could not summon the diplomat on their own for questioning or to furnish a statement.
Nearly a week later, the diplomat, a first secretary dealing with visas, left the country – bringing
“There had only been two possible results – that the Saudi embassy withdraws their diplomat or India expels him. We had to give prior intimation to the Saudis to allow him to be removed,” explained an official.
If India went down the expulsion route, it would have led to Riyadh also expelling an Indian diplomat in tit-for-tat move. It would have also vitiated the atmosphere ahead of a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the next few months.
After the departure of the diplomat, Gurgaon police commissioner Navdeep Singh Virk said that letters had been sent to MEA for access to the alleged accused diplomat through letters on Sep 9 and 10.
“In this regard we have not received any official communication from MEA so far,” he said.