Chandigarh: 2 held for rape of IAF personnel's wife

Panchkula, Nov 25: The Indian Army has detained two of its personnel for allegedly raping the wife of an Indian Air Force (IAF) official at an armed forces hospital here, said well-placed sources in the army on Monday, Nov 24.

"Panchkula police have also sent an application, seeking the custody of the two accused, to the Army office here. Most probably the accused will be handed over to the police Tuesday morning," the source said. A 38-year-old woman alleged she was raped Saturday at the Western Command Hospital in Chandimandir in Panchkula district, around 10 km from Chandigarh, officials said. The victim's husband is posted at Jamnagar town in Gujarat, while she stays here with her two children in army-provided accommodation.

"The victim had gone for physiotherapy treatment at the Western Command Hospital at Chandimandir Saturday," said the investigating officer of the case.

"In the hospital, the ward-in-charge Hottam Singh with the help of nursing attendant Iftikhar Khan forcibly dragged the woman to the adjoining dining hall and raped her," he added.

According to the complaint, a third person identified as Raj filmed the crime and molested the victim.

"We had called a team of forensic experts and they have examined the place and taken the samples. This is a very sensitive issue and we cannot do anything hurriedly without verifying everything," Panchkula police chief Sandeep Khirwar told sources.

"The rape has been confirmed in the preliminary medical reports," Khirwar said.

ANI