An Indian Air Force officer said her senior called her to give her a New Year’s gift and then sexually assaulted her. This is how she is now fighting for justice.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00A 26-year-old flying officer in the Indian Air Force accused a senior wing commander
00:04of sexual assault. Both the officers were posted at the Air Force Station in Srinagar.
00:09But when did it all begin? Here's what we know.
00:11On 31st December 2023, she was at the New Year's party held at the officer's mess.
00:17The wing commander asked her if she had received any gift. When she denied,
00:20he suggested that she should come to his room, where he had kept all the gifts.
00:24It was around 2 am on 1st January 2024. She followed the wing commander to his room,
00:30unaware about what was about to happen. While giving her a tour of the room,
00:34she asked him about his wife and kids, to which he replied that they were staying somewhere else.
00:39The flying officer then alleged that the wing commander forced her into a sexual act and
00:44assaulted her. She said she repeatedly asked him to stop and tried to resist in every way she could,
00:50but he wouldn't stop. So she pushed him and ran away from his room.
00:53She added that the wing commander told her that they would meet again when his family won't be
00:58around. The flying officer said it took her a while to process the situation. She felt overwhelmed
01:03with fear and uncertainty. She said, I didn't know what to do as there were instances before also,
01:08wherein I was discouraged to report. The wing commander later visited her office,
01:13acting as if nothing happened. The flying officer said, I can't describe the mental agony,
01:18being an unmarried girl who joined forces and was treated in such a heinous manner.
01:23The flying officer then reached out to two other women officers, who advised her to file a
01:28complaint. After the complaint was filed, a colonel rank officer was assigned to investigate this
01:33incident. In January 2024, the wing commander was brought in twice to give his statements
01:38alongside her. She said she felt uncomfortable with his presence during the inquiry sessions.
01:44And eventually, she said the investigation was close to hide mistakes of administration.
01:49But she didn't lose hope and filed a new application with the internal committee.
01:53It took two months to set up the committee. She said the bias of station authorities to aid the
01:58offender was very heartbreaking for me. She also alleged that a medical examination wasn't conducted
02:04until she insisted on it multiple times. The flying officer expressed her disappointment
02:09with the internal committee, saying that they failed to do their job properly. She said there
02:13were orders from higher formation to keep the result neutral. It felt like everyone was aiding
02:18the offender. She added that her leave requests were also denied and her appeals for a transfer
02:23or a change in the wing commander's posting were ignored. On 15th May 2024, the committee
02:28closed the investigation, saying that the evidence was inconclusive due to lack of an eyewitness.
02:34Disheartened by this move, the flying officer said, isn't it common sense that someone would
02:38not commit such acts in front of a witness? She added that the situation got worse after that,
02:43as she was forced to attend events with him. She said, my personal communication had been
02:47constantly monitored unofficially. The individuals I speak with are harassed by the authorities. I'm
02:53living in constant fear. The harassment has driven me to suicidal thoughts, and I feel utterly
02:58helpless. After a few months, she approached the Jammu and Kashmir police to file a complaint.
03:03Based on the complaint, an affair had been registered at the Badgam police station on 8th
03:08September 2024 under section 376-2 of the Indian Penal Code, which was enforced at the time of the
03:14alleged incident. The section deals with rape committed by a member of the armed forces.
03:20Although the Indian Air Force did not release any official statement, an official mentioned
03:24that they were aware of the situation and were fully cooperating with the Badgam police.
03:28The investigation was still underway as of publishing this story.