Army colonel accused of raping friend's Russian wife arrested

Kanpur, December 16

An Army colonel accused of raping his friend's Russian wife after sedating her husband at the Officers' Mess in Cantonment area has been arrested. He was arrested late on Tuesday, police said.

Superintendent of Police (East) Raj Kumar Agarwal, said, "Col Neeraj Gahlot was arrested while trying to flee to an unidentified place to evade his arrest."

The police had launched a manhunt for Col Gahlot whose mobile location was traced in the vicinity of officers' mess on Monday evening but he managed to evade arrest.

Cantonment Circle, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Nikhil Pathak, said that a team headed by Chakeri police SHO Ravi Srivastava was dispatched to nab the absconding officer, but his room was found locked.

The colonel posted in Kanpur was booked on Sunday for allegedly raping his friend's wife at the Officers' Mess, police said.

The victim's husband, a civilian, lodged an FIR against the Army officer at the Cantonment police station.

According to the complainant, his wife is of Russian origin and has been living in India for 10 years.

The accused allegedly had invited his civilian friend to the Officer's Mess and gave him an intoxicating drink which made him unconscious. The Army officer allegedly raped his friend's wife.

The accused also allegedly assaulted the woman when she put up a resistance.

After raping the woman, the colonel took leave from his bosses and went underground to evade arrest, said an official.

The rape survivor was subsequently produced before a judicial magistrate who recorded her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC.

IANS