Tamil Nadu: Coimbatore Police File Petition Against Transfer Of Rape Case To IAF

Additional Mahila Court in Coimbatore had ordered the city police to hand over the case to IAF on September 30 after citing the Indian Air Force Act. 

Coimbatore Court Complex

Chennai: The Coimbatore city police filed a revision petition before the Principal District Judge (PDJ) court on Thursday against a trail court order transferring the rape case filed by a woman officer from Indian Air Force (IAF) against her colleague to IAF for court-martial. 

Citing the Indian Air Force Act, Additional Mahila Court in Coimbatore had ordered the city police to hand over the case to IAF on September 30. 

According to a report in the New Indian Express, the revision petition was filed by the case’s investigation officer E Nirmala who is the inspector of All Women Police Station (AWPS-Central). 

Quoting a police official, the report said that the Additional Mahila court had directed the city police to hand over the case to IAF after pointing out section 124 of IAF Act which speaks about the choice between criminal court and court-martial. But the police department had taken up the matter to the knowledge of the Higher Court on the basis of other laws and the department clearly objected to the order that was pronounced at an earlier stage, the official said. 

Pointing out Supreme Court directions, the official, as per the report, said that the civil police should complete the investigation and other processes including filing charge sheet till the case goes to the court for trial. The question of court-martial comes only when the trial of the case starts, the official added. 

The report said that the police department had also sought the court to grant custody of the accused officer for questioning. 

A woman IAF officer filed a complaint that she was raped by her colleague and Flight Lieutenant Amitesh Harmukh at the Air Force Administrative college premises in the city on September 10. Based on her complaint, an FIR was filed and the accused was arrested. Later, the Additional Mahila Court directed the police department to handover the case to IAF.