Coimbatore : The Additional Mahila Court in Coimbatore has handed over
the woman IAF rape case by a Flight Lieutenant to the Indian Air Force (IAF) for court
martial proceedings.
Additional Mahila Court in-charge Judge N.Thilageswari, in-charge directed that the
case should be transferred from the Coimbatore City Police to the IAF as per the
provisions of the Air Force Act, 1950.
Since both the accused and the victims were in active service under the IAF and the
alleged incident occurred within the premises of the Air Force Administrative College
(AFAC) in Coimbatore, the judge observed that only the IAF could carry out further
legal proceedings in this case.
Earlier, the accused, Flight Lieutenant Amitesh Harmukh (29), who was arrested on
Sunday last following a complaint from the woman IAF officer, was produced before
the court, when the Judge ordered handing over the case to IAF.
According to police, the incident occurred in the early hours of September 10 on the
AFAC, Coimbatore campus, where both had arrived for a training programme.
The woman officer, in an FIR registered on September 20, alleged that a Flight Lieutenant
had trespassed into her room and raped her under the influence of alcohol on September
10. She also alleged that her Commandant and senior officers pressured her to withdraw
her complaint, and that she was subjected to the banned two-finger test at the Air Force
Hospital.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women condemned the IAF for conducting the
banned two-finger test on the woman officer.
It was “utterly disappointed and strongly condemned the action of IAF doctors conducting
the banned test on the victim.
In her letter, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma urged the IAF Chief to “take necessary
action” and ensure that its medical fraternity is aware of “prevailing guidelines laid down
by the government.”
