Pune, Oct 18 (NIE): Pune City Police have initiated investigations into allegations of rape and sexual assault levelled by a speech-and-hearing-impaired woman against four Army personnel.

The woman, who works at a military hospital in Pune, has alleged that she was raped by an Army personnel around four years ago when she was on night duty at the hospital. The woman has alleged that she had complained to a senior about the incident and that he took no action against the accused. The victim has claimed that the senior sought sexual favours from her after she complained to him. She alleged that over the next four years, she was sexually assaulted several times by the two, along with two other Army personnel.

A case was registered on Wednesday evening at a police station in Pune and the four Army personnel, belonging to the Army Medical Corps, were booked under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 354 (molestation). According to the victim’s complaint, the Army personnel not only sexually assaulted her several times, they also shot a video of one of the incidents. They allegedly threatened to upload the video online if she told anyone about the alleged assault and rape.

The woman had complained to hospital authorities about the incidents in May, after which a Court of Inquiry was initiated by the Army and the accused were transferred to different places. In July this year, the woman had approached an NGO working for speech-and-hearing-impaired people. With their help, she lodged a complaint at a police station.

Pune Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone IV) Prasad Akkanouru said, “Investigation has been initiated on the basis of a complaint we received. No arrests have been made so far.”

According to senior Army officials, an internal inquiry was conducted after the woman’s complaint. “Some measures, including taking the victim off night duty, were taken. Now, a Court of Inquiry is underway and the personnel will be asked to come to Pune,” the official said.