Alleging harassment, a female Air Force officer has said she had to “relive the trauma” of the regulatory offense after she complained against a 29-year-old colleague, a Flight Lieutenant who was arrested within the rape case on Sunday in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore.
She said the IAF (Indian Air Force) doctors subjected her to the banned and intrusive two-finger test, the employment of which has triggered widespread outrage within the past over violating the survivor’s right to privacy. it’s also believed to be unscientific.
In her police complaint, the officer also alleged that she was questioned about her “sexual history”.
The woman, who had travelled to the Air Force College for training, said the assault came about inside her room at the Air Force Administrative College in Coimbatore’s Redfields.
The assault befell about period ago and therefore the officer said she was forced to travel to the police because she wasn’t satisfied with action taken by the IAF after her original complaint. Twice, she said, she was made to submit a withdrawal – of the complaint letter – in writing and once more, she was asked to sign a letter with changes made, which she refused to sign.
In a statement, the Air Force said: “The IAF is cooperating with the police work and is additionally conducting an interior inquiry. We cannot comment any longer because the matter is subjudice.”
The initial investigation was allotted by an all-women team from the city’s Gandhipuram station. A case of statutory offense under section 376 was registered.
The accused officer, a 29-year-old Flight Lieutenant, had come from Chattisgarh for training at the Air Force Facility near Race Course, officials say.
He was arrested by town police amid objection from his lawyer, who said that “the Coimbatore Police do not have powers to arrest an Air Force officer”. He argued “only military procedure should be followed”. The court had initially remanded the accused for 2 days.
Coimbatore Commissioner of Police Deepak M Damor told NDTV, “There isn’t any provision in (the) law to transfer an FIR to the Air Force. Police will complete the investigation and file a report before the court.”
The National Commission for girls (NCW) has said it’s taken note of a report about the Air Force officer being subjected to two-finger test by Indian Air Force doctors. NCW chief Rekha Sharma, the women’s body said, has written to the Air Chief Marshal to seem into the matter.
