A woman Flying Officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has filed a complaint accusing a Wing Commander of rape, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) at the Budgam police station in central Kashmir, according to a PTI report.
Both officers are currently stationed in Srinagar. The FIR was lodged under relevant legal sections after the woman officer came forward with her allegations, a senior police official confirmed.
“We are aware of the case. The Air Force Station in Srinagar has been approached by the local police, and we are fully cooperating with the investigation,” a senior IAF official told PTI.
The woman officer has reportedly alleged that she has been subjected to harassment, sexual assault, and mental torture for the past two years, as per an NDTV report. She claimed that during a New Year’s Eve party at the officers’ mess on December 31, the Wing Commander asked her if she had received a gift. When she said no, he allegedly invited her to his room under the pretense of giving her the gift. Once there, the officer reportedly forced her into oral sex and molested her.
The woman stated that she resisted and managed to escape, and when she returned to work, the Wing Commander acted as if nothing had happened. Two other women officers advised her to file a formal complaint.
According to reports, a Colonel was appointed to investigate the incident, but the Wing Commander was reportedly present during the statement recordings, which the woman officer objected to. She later claimed that the investigation was closed in an attempt to cover up the administration’s mistakes.
