IAF Wing Commander booked after woman flying officer accuses him of ‘rape, stalking’

Jammu and Kashmir Police have filed a complaint against a Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force after a woman flying officer accused him of rape, mental harassment,and stalking. The incident allegedly happened during the New Year’s Eve party last year, and the FIR was registeredagainst the Wing Commander at the Budgam police station over the weekend under Section 376(2) of the Indian Penal Code, which was in force at the time of the alleged incident on January 1, 2024. The section deals with rape committed by a member of the armed forces deployed in an area by the Central or State Government.

The woman officer also claimed that she was subjected to mental torture over the last two years by the authorities at the Air Force Station, Srinagar.

The IAF said in a statement that the Budgam Police Station approached the concerned Air Force station for investigation, and the IAF is cooperating in the investigation.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has reportedly ordered an inquiry into the allegations.

Woman officer’s complaint

The woman officer complained that she was forced to perform a sexual act on the accused Wing Commander during the party held at the Officers’ Mess at the Srinagar air force station.

She said the sexual harassment occurred at around 2 am on January 1 after the Wing Commander asked her to ‘collect the New Year’s gift’.

“I went into a mental shock being new to the atmosphere in the forces. I was embarrassed and… broken to that extent … lacking courage to report. I can’t describe the mental agony, being an unmarried girl… treated in such a heinous manner… the incident and nightmares put me in the dilemma of whether to discuss or be quiet, finally I took a call and decided to fight,” the woman officer said in her complaint.

“It took two months for Station to assemble an Internal Committee (IC)… on April 2, 2024, Internal Committee assembled. The bias of Station authorities to aid the sexual offender was very heartbreaking for me… Medical examination was not done till the time I insisted multiple times. It was done on the last day of the investigation by the Internal Committee,” she added.

She added that she was forced to approach the police station after her pleas were ignored by IAF authorities.

In response to an email sent to the Public Relations Officer of the IAF in New Delhi,Wing Commander Jaideep Singh
wrote to WION that the air force is "completely cooperating towards the case".

"We are aware of the case. Local police had approached on the subject. We are completely cooperating towards the case," the PRO wrote, without providing any more details.

(With inputs from agencies)