Four Army personnel booked for molesting and raping hearing-speech impaired woman in Pune

The woman was allegedly molested and raped at Pune's Khadki Military hospital.

Pic for representational purpose only

PUNE: In a shocking incident, four Army personnel have been booked for allegedly molesting and raping a hearing and speech-impaired woman at a hospital in Pune.

The woman was allegedly molested and raped by the four accused at Pune's Khadki Military hospital over a period of four years.

The victim later lodged a police complaint in Indore with the help of an NGO, according to ANI.

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

A letter in connection with the alleged molestation and rape of the woman by four Army personnel has been sent to the Defence Minister and the Army Chief for necessary action against the accused.

According to media reports, the woman had reported the matter through a text message to one of the four accused when she was allegedly molested by a jawan for the first time a few years back.

However, he too began blackmailing her and asked for sexual favours.

In her FIR, the woman alleged that two more Army personnel joined them soon and that's how her sexual exploitation began. 

According to a ToI report, two of the four accused jawans also made a video clip of a sex act with the woman and blackmailed her. 

The woman made several complaints to different administrative heads of the hospital, but it went unheard, a police officer was quoted as saying.

Shedding more light on the shocking incident, Pune ACP Kalyanrao Vidhate said, ''She can't speak, so accused took advantage of her condition and committed sexual assault. She told her colleague and he also committed sexual assault. Two other men did the same thing.''

''The incident took place between January to June 2015. The victim and accused used to work in night shifts at the same organisation,'' the ACP told ANI.

The incident took place between January to June 2015. Victim & accused used to work in night shifts at the same organisation: Pune ACP Kalyanrao Vidhate on 4 Army men posted at Khadki Military hospital booked for molesting & raping a speech-impaired woman in hospital premises pic.twitter.com/4uQOgPO1xG — ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018

The shocking incident comes at a time when revelations made by the victims of sexual misconduct have fuelled a #MeToo movement in India and several influential men, including Union Minister MJ Akbar, have been accused of sexual harassment.