In a serious case emerging from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, a woman Flying Officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF) has filed a police complaint accusing a senior Wing Commander of rape and sexual harassment. Based on her complaint, the local authorities at Budgam police station have registered an FIR, with both the accused and the victim serving in Srinagar.
The IAF has confirmed that they are fully cooperating with local authorities. “We are aware of the case. Local police station Budgam has approached the Indian Air Force in Srinagar in this matter and we are fully cooperating with the local authorities,” an IAF spokesperson told Media.
The Flying Officer has reportedly been enduring harassment, sexual assault, and mental torture at the hands of her senior for the past two years. The complaint centers around a specific incident at a New Year’s Eve party at the officers’ mess on December 31, 2023. According to the victim, the Wing Commander invited her to his room under the pretense of retrieving a gift. Once inside, she alleges that the senior officer forced her into oral sex and molested her, despite her repeated objections and attempts to resist.
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“I repeatedly asked him to stop doing it and tried to resist it in all ways possible. Finally, I pushed him and ran away. He said that we would meet again on Friday when his family leaves,” the officer stated in her complaint.
The victim has explained that it took her some time to come to terms with the assault. She was initially hesitant to report the incident due to previous discouragement from reporting similar experiences. “I was afraid and didn’t know what to do as there were instances before also wherein I was discouraged to report,” she said. After confiding in two fellow women officers, she was encouraged to file a formal complaint.
However, the Flying Officer alleges that the internal investigation conducted by the Air Force authorities was biased and mishandled. According to her statement, a Colonel-rank officer was tasked with investigating the case, but the accused Wing Commander was permitted to sit with her during the recording of her statement, which she strongly objected to. She also stated that the investigation was closed prematurely to “hide mistakes of administration.”
Following this, the victim filed a fresh application to the internal committee, which did not convene until two months later. She has accused the authorities of shielding the accused and failing to conduct a proper medical examination despite her repeated requests. “The bias of Station authorities to aid the sexual offender was very heartbreaking for me,” she said, criticizing the internal committee’s conclusion that the case was “inconclusive” due to a lack of eyewitnesses.
“Isn’t it common sense that someone would not do sexual assault in front of a witness?” the officer remarked.
Since the incident, the Flying Officer has complained of ongoing mental harassment and a lack of institutional support. She has been denied leave and requests for a different posting for herself or the accused Wing Commander. “I am forced to socialise with these people and attend events with my abuser… While he is enjoying, I am getting harassed in the hands of authorities on a daily basis,” she said.
The officer also claimed that her personal communications have been unofficially monitored, and those she interacts with have been harassed by authorities. She noted the severe toll this harassment has taken on her mental health, leading her to have suicidal thoughts. “I am living in constant fear, under 24/7 scrutiny… The harassment has driven me to suicidal thoughts, and I feel utterly helpless. I am unable to carry on with my daily life,” she added.
The local police are investigating the allegations, and the IAF has pledged full cooperation. The matter has drawn attention to the internal procedures of the armed forces and raised serious concerns over how cases of sexual harassment and assault are handled within military institutions. The outcome of the investigation is yet to be determined.
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