Pune: Four Army Personnel Booked For Allegedly Raping A Speech & Hearing Impaired Woman

The Pune police on Tuesday, October 16 booked four Army jawans for allegedly raping a 30-year-old speech and hearing impaired woman. According to The Times Of India, the woman was subjected to the sexual exploitation over a span of four years inside the premises of the Military Hospital in Khadki, where she works as a Grade IV employee. The woman is reported to be a widow and a mother of a 12-year-old boy.

Reportedly, a court of inquiry has also been initiated against the jawans while the case has been registered under sections 376 (rape) and 354 (molestation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Four Army personnel posted at Pune's Khadki Military hospital booked for molesting & raping a speech-impaired woman in the hospital premises. The woman filed complaint in Indore with the help on an NGO & the letter was sent regarding it to Defence Minister and Army Chief.

— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018

The woman was raped multiple times over 4 years

The FIR that was lodged by the woman reveals gruesome details of the ordeal that supposedly went on for four years. In July, the victim approached an Indore based NGO which works for the welfare of speech and hearing impaired people. After recording her statement using sign language, a formal complaint was submitted to the hospital’s commandant and on Monday, October 15, she approached the police.

The woman stated that she has been working at the hospital since 2014 and revealed that she was first raped by one of the jawans while she was working during a night shift. She even claimed to have reported the incident to her senior, another jawan and a nursing assistant via text message, however, she alleged that both jawans joined hands to demand sexual favours. They even threatened to make her message go viral. The woman was subjected to repeated incidents of sexual exploitation by two other jawans who joined the duo.

Investigation underway

Senior inspector Rajendra Mohite of the Khadki police told the daily that the men even filmed an incident of a sex act which they used to blackmail her. Moreover, her pleas to different heads went unheard and they even refused to accept her requests to give only day duties.

A senior army officer has said that investigations in this matter have started and that disciplinary actions against the accused will be taken after the inquiry report. Reportedly, the two main accused are from the Army Medical Corps who were studying at the hospital. Both of them are now posted at different locations. Denying claims that the victim was not given day shifts, he said that for the last three months she has been given daytime duties from 8 am to 4 pm.

Incidents like these have become increasingly common in India, where women, unable to defend themselves against perpetrators and the subsequent societal consequences, suffer in silence. The Logical Indian community urges the authorities to look into the matter so that those who are found to be guilty can be held accountable for their deplorable actions

Also Read: Odisha: Alleged Gang Rape Victim Commits Suicide Over Delay In Investigation