The Saudi Arabian diplomat, who was charged with confinement and rape of two Nepalese women at his Gurgaon residence, tonight made a quiet exit from the country as Riyadh invoked diplomatic immunity for the first secretary who is governed by the Vienna convention.
Vikas Swarup, spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry, said: “We have learnt that Saudi embassy’s first secretary Majed Hassan Ashroor, who was allegedly accused of raping two Nepalese women, has left India in a Saudi flight this evening.”
“The first secretary being a diplomat is governed by the provisions of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations,” Swarup said.
The Gurgaon police had sought permission from the Ministry to grill the diplomat, but did not get a chance. The Gurgaon police commissioner said the Ministry did not respond to their plea seeking permission to question the diplomat. An investigator said: “The case is virtually closed as the accused has left the country.
The case has been weakened terribly. ”NGO Meitei India’s Delhi in charge Bal Krishan Pandey said: “Diplomacy has won over justice. In a rape case, the police arrest the accused on the victim’s statement. Two medical examinations proved that the diplomat was guilty of the crime but was left scot free. This exit proves that the delay in allowing the Gurgaon police to question the accused was an attempt to help him flee. This means that the Vienna convention will be a tool for diplomats to exploit people and run away. We will take this up with our embassy.”
Considering that Nepal had sought justice for the two victims, the Modi government has to straddle between the requirements of a neighbour and a powerfully ally in West Asia. There were reports that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s office got associated with the case and ensured to remove bottlenecks. Sources in the Indian diplomatic circles said it remains to be seen whether the Saudi authorities pursue the case as per laws in their country,
Vikas Swarup, spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry, said: “We have learnt that Saudi embassy’s first secretary Majed Hassan Ashroor, who was allegedly accused of raping two Nepalese women, has left India in a Saudi flight this evening.”
“The first secretary being a diplomat is governed by the provisions of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations,” Swarup said.
The Gurgaon police had sought permission from the Ministry to grill the diplomat, but did not get a chance. The Gurgaon police commissioner said the Ministry did not respond to their plea seeking permission to question the diplomat. An investigator said: “The case is virtually closed as the accused has left the country.
The case has been weakened terribly. ”NGO Meitei India’s Delhi in charge Bal Krishan Pandey said: “Diplomacy has won over justice. In a rape case, the police arrest the accused on the victim’s statement. Two medical examinations proved that the diplomat was guilty of the crime but was left scot free. This exit proves that the delay in allowing the Gurgaon police to question the accused was an attempt to help him flee. This means that the Vienna convention will be a tool for diplomats to exploit people and run away. We will take this up with our embassy.”
Considering that Nepal had sought justice for the two victims, the Modi government has to straddle between the requirements of a neighbour and a powerfully ally in West Asia. There were reports that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s office got associated with the case and ensured to remove bottlenecks. Sources in the Indian diplomatic circles said it remains to be seen whether the Saudi authorities pursue the case as per laws in their country,
