NHRC issues notices to Defense-secretary, Pune Police over rape-incident: Activist
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Defense secretary and Pune Police commissioner, and sought their replies in connection with the alleged rape of a 34-year-old woman employee of a military hospital in Pune district of Maharashtra in 2015, said an activist. Human rights activist Jayesh Rajpurohit had lodged a complaint with the NHRC based on media reports in this matter.
The woman suffered from speech and hearing impairment
Rajpurohit said the commission, after taking cognizance of his plea, issued the notices to the authorities on December 18, and had also sought a compliance report as per section 166 (A) of the IPC in four weeks. On October 16, the Pune Police booked four Army personnel for allegedly raping the speech and hearing impaired woman employee of the military hospital.
Woman was on night duty when accused raped her
The alleged offense took place between January-June 2015 at the hospital in Pune's Khadki suburb. The woman had been working at the facility since 2014. "According to the woman's complaint, she was on night duty (at the hospital) when she was allegedly raped by one of the accused, who at the time was posted at the hospital," a senior police official had said.
Other personnel offered help but took advantage of the woman
"When the survivor told another personnel about the incident, he initially told her that he would reprimand the accused. But he too sought sexual favors from her by threatening her to make the message viral and allegedly raped her," said the police official. He added, "After some days, two more personnel approached the woman and allegedly took advantage of her."
Pune police registered case under rape and molestation charges
The woman, a class IV employee at the hospital, had approached an NGO in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, earlier this year about her plight. The NGO subsequently approached the Indore police. On October 16, the Indore Police informed their Pune counterparts about the matter, which registered a case against the four personnel under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 354 (molestation).
Court of Inquiry initiated even before the police complaint: Army
Besides the police, the Army too is conducting a 'court of inquiry' against the four personnel, who also worked in the same military hospital at the time. An official of the Army's Southern Command had said they were conducting an inquiry into the matter. "The court of inquiry was initiated well before the police complaint was registered," he had said.
