Dehradun shocker: Ex-Air Force personnel gets 20 years’ jail for repeatedly raping daughter; assaults wife

DEHRADUN: A special Pocso court in Dehradun has sentenced an ex- Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually abusing his daughter for many years, starting when "she was around six". The survivor told the court that her dad repeatedly mentioned to her "the abuse was normal and that this was how fathers showed love to their daughters."

The convict was found guilty under IPC sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural offences) and 506 (criminal intimidation), and sections 5 and 6 of the Pocso Act. Special Judge (Pocso) Archana Sagar on Wednesday also fined him Rs 25,000. He had earlier been suspended from IAF's service.

The abuse came to light in Nov 2023 when his daughter, then 17 years old, told her mother what happened over the years. The shocked mother filed a complaint the same day at a police station in Dehradun. The accused was arrested on Nov 20, that year, and has been in jail since then.

During the trial, the court was told that the assaults took place at different places -- UP, Delhi, Gujarat and Uttarakhand -- where the family lived due to the man's postings. The victim's younger brother is a special needs child while another sibling has a serious illness.

According to the survivor, the abuse continued even when her mother was in hospital after a road accident, and when she went to Delhi for her son's treatment. The man also physically assaulted his wife, creating fear at home.

The court relied on the survivor's consistent statements recorded under section 164 of the CrPC, medical reports and evidence from eight witnesses, including her mother, relatives, doctors and the investigating officer. The convict, on his part, claimed the case was false as "he had problems in his marriage", but the court rejected this argument.

Public prosecutor Alpana Thapa said the court stated that the survivor's testimony remained firm even after gruelling cross-examination and the prosecution proved "charges beyond reasonable doubt".