© Mustafa Quraishi/AP Ranjit Sinha addresses a press conference at the CBI headquarters in New Delhi, India.
Ranjit Sinha, chief of India's Central Bureau of Investigation, apologises for remark that causes outrage across countryOne of
India's most senior policemen has been forced to apologise after comparing
rape to unlicensed betting which, because it cannot be prevented, should be enjoyed.
Ranjit Sinha, who leads the Central Bureau of Investigation in India, made the remarks during a discussion at a conference on Tuesday night.
India is struggling with a wave of violence against women which has prompted widespread debate about social attitudes and has damaged its image overseas.
In December last year, a 23-year-old student died of internal injuries suffered during a
gang rape by six men after she boarded a private bus in south Delhi. Four men were sentenced to death for the attack in September at a special fast-track court in the capital. A juvenile has also been convicted. The alleged ringleader of the assault hanged himself in prison.
Further incidents of multiple rapes or sexual assaults are now regularly reported by Indian media.
"Do we have the enforcement?" Sinha said after being asked if sports betting, which is banned in India but widespread, should be legalised. "It is very easy to say that if you can't enforce it, it's like saying if you can't prevent rape, you [should] enjoy it."
His remarks outraged campaigners and politicians.