Bangalore: Police seize passport of French diplomat accused of raping minor daughter

Bangalore: The Bangalore Police on Tuesday seized the passport of the French diplomat, who has been accused by his Indian wife of raping their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter. The abuse began in 2010, claimed the diplomat's wife, when their daughter was a mere toddler aged one.

Pascal Mazurier was arrested on Tuesday morning after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) gave a clearance, saying the diplomat did not enjoy any immunity.

The Bangalore Police had till now been hesitant in arresting him citing diplomatic immunity provided to envoys.

Accused by his Indian wife of raping their minor daughter, the envoy was rough-handled by an angry crowd.

Meanwhile, the French MEA issued a statement on Tuesday morning, saying, "We have been informed of the allegation against one of our employees posted at the Consulate General of France in Bangalore and have since been in contact with the local authorities. An investigation is underway. We cannot, therefore, comment on this at this stage. The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) does not provide for immunity of jurisdiction for acts committed outside the exercise of consular duties (Article 43)."

Social activists took to the streets on Monday demanding immediate arrest of the accused. On Tuesday, a bystander outside the Bowring hospital in Bangalore, where the accused had been taken for a medical check-up, slapped him and tried to pull away the veil he had covered his head with.

Mazurier is likely to be produced in court later in the day.

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