The Indian government has released a former British naval officer who was charged with sexually abusing street urchins in Mumbai. Hamstead-based Duncan Grant, 68, was freed from an Indian jail after serving a four-year sentence. He and Hampshire-based retired Lieutenant Commander Allan Waters were convicted of abusing five homeless boys at a shelter established by Grant in Mumbai in 2006.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Mumbai police not to release passports of two British nationals, who were acquitted in a case of paedophilia recently. The apex court issued notices to Britons -- Duncan Grant and Allan Waters -- on an appeal filed by an NGO challenging their acquittal by the Bombay high court.
British nationals-- Duncan Grant and Allen Waters and the Indian William Desouza--were acquitted on Wednesday by the Mumbai high court of charges of molestation and indulging in paedophilia at Three Children's Shelter Home run by them.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal filed by the state government to stay the acquittal order of two Britons and an Indian in a paedophilia case.
A division Bench of Justices S Radhakrishnan and Roshan Dalvi took exception to the letter by a British NGO 'Fair Trials Abroad' to the chief justice. The NGO had stated that they wanted to engage British lawyers to represent Grant (63) and Waters (59) before the High Court. "We don't want communication from other agencies. You can't write such letters to the court," Justice Radhakrishnan noted and added, "Tell your clients that we are no more their colony."
The length of the sentence is yet to be announced.
Grant was deported to the UK from Tanzania, where he had fought extradition to India.
Allan Johan Water was booked for child sexual abuse by the Colaba police in south Mumbai in 2001 along with another British national Duncan Grant.
A local court on Wednesday sent United Kingdom national Duncan Grant to judicial custody till July 27.\n\n
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