Accused French consulate official will get due punishment through courts: Preneet Kaur

New Delhi, June 19 (ANI): With the Karnataka Police arresting French consulate official, Pascal Mazurier, accused of raping his three-and-a-half-year-old daughter,Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur on Tuesday said this is the worst kind of crime that can be committed, and added that the guilty will get due punishment through the courts.

"This is the worst kind of crime that can be committed. We deeply abhor this crime. The law has its course, he has been arrested. The process will be on and he will get his due punishment through the courts," said Kaur.

"No, he is an official and he does not have diplomatic immunity," she added, when asked whether the arrested French consulate official is getting diplomatic immunity.

The arrest of Mazurier, Deputy Head of Chancery at the French Consulate in Bangalore, comes a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs clarified to the city police that the accused did not enjoy any diplomatic immunity and action can be taken as per law.

Mazurier was taken into custody in connection with the complaint foled by his wife Suja Jones.

Jones, an Indian citizen, has accused Mazurier of raping their daughter and has requested that he be restrained from leaving the country till legal proceedings are completed, and added that under no circumstance should he be allowed custody of their three children, all of whom are French nationals.

She has also appealed to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna to intervene in the matter. (ANI)