Former Andaman and Nicobar Chief Secretary Jitendra Narain was on Friday sent to police custody till November 14 by a Port Blair court in connection with the alleged gangrape of a 21-year-old woman, reported PTI.

Narain was arrested on Thursday after a sessions court dismissed his anticipatory bail. District and Sessions Judge Subhash Kumar Kar said that the allegations against Narain were “grave and heinous in nature” and that there was need for custodial interrogation in the interest of impartial investigation, reported The Indian Express.

After his arrest, the Indian Administrative Service Officer had claimed that he was a victim of conspiracy.

The first information report against Narain was lodged on October 1 on the complaint of a woman who accused him and another bureaucrat RL Rishi of raping her on two occasions in April and May. Narain was the chairperson and managing director of the Delhi Financial Corporation when he was booked.

In the FIR, the woman had claimed that as her father and stepmother did not take care of her financial needs, she needed a job and was introduced to the labour commissioner who was reportedly close to Narain.

She claimed that Narain had appointed 7,800 candidates in various departments just on the basis of recommendation and without any formal interview. The woman alleged that she was lured to the chief secretary’s home with the promise of a government job, and then raped there on April 14 and May 1.

On October 17, the Centre had suspended him with Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding strict action against the IAS officer.

On October 20, the Delhi High Court had granted transit anticipatory bail to Narain till October 28. A day later, the Calcutta High Court directed Narain to appear before the Special Investigation Team, noting that the IAS officer had said he will cooperate with the investigation.

Narain, who was transferred from the islands to Delhi on July 21, was questioned by the Special Investigation Team on the last three days of October.