British national rape case: Raj Home Sec to apprise SC

Rajasthan Home Secretary Kushal Singh informed the Supreme Court that two senior police officers have already been suspended for not being able to arrest a hotelier from Udaipur, whose bail was cancelled by the apex court as he has been convicted for raping a 19-year-old British tourist in December 2007.

The victim was subjected to rape when accused Prabhat Singh alias Rana entered in her room in the pretext of handing over a blanket to her.

He was convicted by a fast track court. He filed an appeal in the High Court and was subsequently granted bail.

The petitioner Suzanne Lousie Martin challenged the order of the High Court in the Supreme Court and sought the cancellation of his bail saying that he was trying to flee the country.

During the hearing of the petition on July 20, a bench comprising Justices Markandey Katju and A K Ganguly had pulled up the state government and had gone to the extent of observing, ‘there is no rule of law in Rajasthan'. The orders of the apex court are not being complied with. This state of affairs must be brought to the notice of the state Chief Minister.’ The bench of has directed the state Home Secretary to appear personally in the court to explain the circumstances due to which the directions of the apex court to re-arrest the accused have not been complied with.