New Delhi: A woman Army Officer has accused her commanding officer and another senior officer of sexual harassment.
The court of inquiry(CoI) held by the Indian Army has found the accused, a Colonel and a Major, Blameworthy, and the summary of evidence (the legal stage preceding a court-martial) is now being recorded.
The incident took place in an Air Defence Regiment under the jurisdiction of the 11 Corps in Jalandhar.
The officer accused the colonel of coercing her to have sex on several occasions over a period of one year.
Though the Army denied that woman Officer had also pressed rape and molestation charges against the Colonel, he does face other charges.
"Apart from sexual harassment and victimisation, the accused also face charges of falsifying official documents and acts prejudicial to good order and discipline. The disciplinary proceedings are being fast-tracked," said an officer.
The matter came to the fore when the newly commissioned woman Officer had complained to the 11 Corps Commander Lt-General N Thamuraj in March about the harassment.
Lt-Gen Thamburaj, then ordered a CoI headed by a Brigadier against the two, which found that a preliminary case did exist against them under different sections of the Indian Penal Code and Army Act.
The accused may face a general court martial.
In the last two years, IAF has faced two such cases, where one woman in Bangalore and three women cadets at the Air Force Academy had pressed charges against their seniors after disciplinary proceedings.
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