The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Wednesday refused to quash an FIR allegedly lodged against a senior Indian Air Force officer. Rape of female colleagueInstead, it asked the police to complete their investigation and file a charge sheet.
The matter is related to a fir Since September, when an Indian Air Force wing commander was accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague during a New Year party on January 1 at the Srinagar Air Force Station, where they are both posted. The woman officer claimed that the male officer – her senior in the force – called her to his room on the pretext of some New Year gifts and assaulted her.
The accused officer was demanding cancellation of the FIR and bail in the case.
In its order, the court set aside two orders of the trial court relating to the central government’s request to transfer the investigation to the Indian Air Force. In the first order passed on October 10, the trial court had allowed the plea, but withdrew it a week later claiming that the accused had “concealed the facts”.
However, despite this, it allowed the Central government to file a fresh petition requesting it to transfer the investigation, saying this could be done after the charge sheet is filed.
Advocate Ayesha, who represented the woman Air Force officer in the case, said, “The court has rejected the petition filed by the accused officer.” Indian Express“The accused officer had sought quashing of the FIR against him.”
In her complaint to the police, the woman officer alleged that she was subjected to continuous harassment, sexual harassment and mental torture by the officials of the Srinagar Air Force Station and when she came to know that no action was taken, she approached the police. Had to be forced. Force.
After the FIR was registered in September, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to investigate the allegations made by the woman officer. Meanwhile, the central government approached the trial court to invoke Section 124 of the Indian Air Force Act 1950 – a provision that deals with court martial proceedings. It ultimately challenged the withdrawal of the trial court’s October 10 order in the High Court.
In its order on Wednesday, the HC, the court which clubbed the petitions together, said the bail plea of the accused officer will be heard separately.