Pune: IAF Officer Booked for Rape After Allegedly Misleading Journalist With False Marriage Promise
Wanowrie, 6th February 2025: A 32-year-old journalist from Delhi has accused an Indian Air Force (IAF) Squadron Leader of repeated sexual assault under the pretence of marriage. The 35-year-old officer, currently posted at Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) in Pune, allegedly assaulted her on multiple occasions at a private lodge and his bachelor accommodation in Pune.
The case came to light after the victim lodged a complaint at Wanawadi police station, leading to a case being registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for rape, criminal intimidation, and intentional insult.
The victim stated that she met the accused through a defence matrimonial website in December 2024. They exchanged contact details and began communicating via WhatsApp. Soon after, she traveled to Pune on December 16 to meet him at his AFMC accommodation, where she alleges that he sexually assaulted her during the night.
The next morning, the officer assured her of marriage before dropping her off at the AFMC gate. However, after she returned to Mumbai, he allegedly began avoiding her and became distant. When she confronted him, he continued to make false promises about their marriage.
Determined to clarify his intentions, she returned to Pune on December 21 to meet him again. However, the officer did not show up as planned. The next day, they met at a shopping mall, where the accused allegedly consumed alcohol, verbally abused her, and admitted he never intended to marry her.
“He told me that he would either abandon me or enter into a contract marriage only to divorce me later,” the victim said in her complaint.
Despite this, he later persuaded her to meet again, pretending to seek a resolution. However, she alleges that he sexually assaulted her once more.
After he cut all communication and blocked her contact, the victim approached the police seeking justice. Although the case has been registered, the accused has not yet been arrested.
Police Sub-Inspector Pallavi Doke is leading the investigation.
