New Delhi: Two Nepalese women allegedly confined and raped by a Saudi diplomat and his “guests” in a Gurgaon flat said on Wednesday that their tormentors had threatened to kill them, as the Saudi embassy protested against the police “intrusion” into the diplomat’s residence. While Saudi Arabia backed its diplomat, lodged a protest and termed the allegations against him “false”, the external affairs ministry said further steps will be taken once it gets a detailed report from the police. The Saudi diplomat enjoys diplomatic immunity and cannot be arrested. Some reports citing police sources said the two victims are likely to fly back to Nepal Thursday as their statements have already been recorded before a judicial magistrate.
Recounting their ordeal, the two Nepalese women said though they were brought for “handling domestic chores ... he did horrific things with us”, and alleged they were shown “knives... and (he) threatened to kill us...”
Reacting to the allegations, the Saudi embassy issued a statement terming them as “false” and said it has protested over the police intrusion into a diplomat’s house which is against “all diplomatic conventions”. It also drew the MEA’s attention to the “unwarranted media briefings before the investigations are complete”.
The MEA told the Saudis a detailed report was awaited from the Gurgaon police, adding that the authorities there were not aware it was a diplomat’s house, and had acted only on reports that two Nepalese women were kept there against their will and were ill-treated. MEA spokesman Vikas Swarup said further steps will be taken after it got the detailed police report.
Gurgaon police commissioner Navdeep Singh Virk, who is heading a special investigation team, said the probe into the allegations will be in accordance with the Vienna Convention as the official has diplomatic immunity.
