Sailor's wife molested: Navy has not been cooperating with us, alleges sailor

A sailor in the Indian Navy has alleged he was asked to vacate his flat, after his wife lodged a complaint with the Cuffe Parade police against another sailor in the Navy, who allegedly molested her.

A sailor in the Indian Navy has alleged he was asked to vacate his flat, after his wife lodged a complaint with the Cuffe Parade police against another sailor in the Navy, who allegedly molested her.

Speaking to HT, the woman’s husband said he had faced indirect harassment from navy personnel, after his wife lodged a complaint.

“The Navy has not been cooperating with us. Instead, they have been putting pressure on us in various ways. I have lost all hope. The owner of the quarters has asked me to leave our residence in four days,” said the man. The woman, along with her husband and a three-month-old child, lives in a shared apartment with a leading seaman in Navy Nagar, and pays a rent of Rs 5,000.

Rahul Sinha, spokesperson for the Indian Navy, said the Navy was not aware of the incident and the complainant and her husband had approached the civilian police and lodged a complaint before informing the Navy police. An internal inquiry was conducted by the Navy and they will cooperate with the police investigations, he said.

He said, “When my wife refused to go, he started pressurising her. My wife then went to his place, which is in the same building, and had dinner. The wife of the accused was present during the dinner. My wife returned home around 10pm,” said the husband.

The woman’s husband said around 10.30pm, the man came to their home again. He was allegedly drunk and called from outside the house.

“My wife was scared and was carrying our three-month-old child. When she came out of the house he asked her to leave the baby in the bedroom. When my wife went inside the house, he followed her in. He asked her to close the door but she refused.”

The woman then asked the man to leave the house. The accused then asked for a glass of water. “When she gave him water, he grabbed her hand and tried to misbehave with her, after which he left the house. When I came home, she was in shock. After I asked her several times, she narrated the incident to me,” he said.

The woman’s husband then claimed they approached the Naval Wives Welfare Association (NWWA) on May 11 and spoke to a female officer. The officer said she was busy and asked them to meet her the next day. On May 12, they went to the NWWA office and gave her statement. The woman officer said she would forward the complaint to the Navy police, the husband said. He also claimed the Navy personnel, who spoke to the woman during investigations, did not behave well with her.