GURGAON: The focus of the probe into rape charges against a Saudi Arabian diplomat has shifted to Anwar, the 'placement agent' who allegedly handed over two Nepalese women to him.

The women, employed as house helps, accused the diplomat of raping and torturing them in his flat at Ambience Caitriona in Gurgaon. The diplomat has since left the country.

From Nepal, the two women were allegedly brought to Delhi separately by a woman named Kalpana. It was Kalpana who handed them over to Anwar, allegedly for a sum of Rs 1 lakk. The two Nepalese women, aged 50 and 30, were rescued on September 7. Medical tests, conducted twice, confirmed rape.

Police sources said Anwar used four mobile numbers, all procured with fake identity cards. All four numbers are currently switched off, a police officer said. So far, the police know that Anwar operated from an office in Delhi's Daryaganj. Police believe he is the key figure in the case and arresting him will give the probe a tremendous filip.

In their statements to the police, the Nepalese women had said Kalpana had taken them to Anwar's Daryaganj office. He had then placed them with Saudi diplomat. The police suspect he might have placed many such maids, including Neetu, a third maid employed by the diplomat but who quit and passed on information about the plight of the two Nepalese women to an NGO. "We have not received any direction or reply from the ministry of external affairs yet but our internal investigation is going on. We are trying to find collect facts about other guests of the diplomat who are accused of raping and torturing the maids," said a senior police officer.

Bal Krishna Pandey, president of Maiti-India, the NGO that helped rescue the two women, said it was waiting for information from the police. "We wonder, though, how the probe is on since the police are not in touch with either the accused or the victims," Pandey said.

The diplomat was withdrawn by Saudi Arabia after the MEA asked the Saudi authorities to waive his immunity so he could be investigated. The Saudi government refused and withdrew the diplomat which, sources said, was a tacit recognition that their defence was weak. But even as the police case continues, it will be difficult to prosecute since the main accused is no longer in India. The Saudi embassy maintained its diplomat was innocent.

