IAF officer accuses senior squadron commander of rape, complaint filed at Budgam police station

A female flight officer serving in the Indian Air Force has filed an official complaint with the police, accusing a senior wing commander of rape.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was filed at Budgam police station in Jammu and Kashmir.

Both officers involved are stationed in Srinagar.

The Indian Air Force said it was cooperating with authorities in the case.

“We are aware of the case. The local police station Budgam has approached the Indian Air Force in Srinagar regarding this matter and we are fully cooperating with the local authorities,” the IAF was quoted as saying by NDTV.

In her complaint, the flight attendant stated that she had been subjected to harassment, sexual assault and psychological torture over the past two years.

According to the officer, she was asked by her superior at a New Year’s Eve party in the officers’ casino on December 31, 2023, whether she had received the gift.

When she said no, the Wing Commander said the gifts were in his room and took them there. When she asked where his family was, he said they were somewhere else.

The flight attendant claimed that her supervisor forced her to perform oral sex and sexually harassed her.

“I repeatedly asked him to stop and tried to resist in every way possible. Finally, I pushed him and ran away. He said we would see each other again on Friday when his family was gone,” she said. NDTV reported.

The officer said it took some time for her to fully understand the incident.

“I was scared and didn’t know what to do because there had been cases before where I had not dared to report. He visited my office after this incident… He acted as if nothing had happened and there was no sign of remorse in his eyes,” she said.

The flight official said she sought advice from two colleagues who encouraged her to file the complaint.

“I cannot describe the mental anguish it was for me as an unmarried girl to join the troops and be treated in such a despicable manner,” she said.

After the complaint was filed, an officer of the rank of colonel was assigned to investigate the matter, she said.

She claimed that the Wing Commander was forced to sit with her twice in January to record her statements.

She objected to his presence and the investigation was later closed. She believed this was done to “cover up administrative mistakes.”

She then submitted a new application to the internal committee, which met two months later.

“The bias of the station authorities to help the sex offender was heartbreaking for me,” she said, claiming that a medical examination was only conducted after she insisted on it several times.

“The internal committee (IC) did not do its job properly as the instructions came from higher up to keep the outcome neutral. Everyone helped the sex offender,” said the flight officer.

She also claimed that her repeated requests for temporary restraining orders and leave had been denied.

Furthermore, their requests for alternative transfers, either for themselves or for the Wing Commander, were ignored.

“I am forced to associate with these people and attend events with my tormentor … while he enjoys himself. I am harassed daily by the authorities,” she said.

According to her statement, the Internal Committee stated that it was not clear whether the incident took place or not since there was no eyewitness and closed its investigation in May.

“Isn’t it common sense that someone wouldn’t commit sexual assault in front of a witness?” she said.

The flying officer also accused him of “ongoing psychological harassment” and a “social boycott”.

“My personal communications are constantly monitored unofficially. The people I speak to are harassed by the authorities,” she said.

She stated that the ongoing harassment had severely affected her mental health.

“I live in constant fear, am under surveillance 24 hours a day and my social life has been completely destroyed. The harassment has driven me to suicidal thoughts and I feel completely helpless. I am unable to carry on with my daily life and my social contacts are strictly monitored and prevented by the authorities. I have endured this torture for too long and am at the end of my strength,” she said.

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