Simione Tuvuki 
Two police officers who are alleged to have been involved in the attempted rape of a female police officer appeared in the Labasa Magistrates Court today.
Kaushik Rattan and Shivnesh Kumar are charged with one count each of attempted rape.
The two appeared before Magistrate Bimsara Jagodage.
Rattan and Kumar opted for a private counsel, and they have been represented by lawyer Amrit Sen.
The prosecution has strongly objected to bail, saying the accused have breached their trust to the public as police officers and the matter is of public interest.
It also says that this is a serious offence and the accused are a threat in the community.
The prosecution has asked for the matter to be transferred to the high court.
The defence lawyer states that there is no reason for the accused to be remanded in custody, because they understand the consequences if they do not adhere to the condition of bail as they are police officers.
He also says that the accused have cooperated with police, and they are willing to comply with the condition of bail that will be set by the court.
Meanwhile, some members of the public have expressed concern on the treatment of the two police officers as they were not handcuffed and their identities were not mentioned in court.
The matter has been adjourned until this afternoon for a bail hearing.
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