PUNE: A Senior army nurse, who claims to have been an eyewitness to the rape of her colleague by three Army officers, has moved the court to challenger her allegedly illegal confinement at the Command Hospital here.
Capt Lata Sharma (Kakkar) (32), and her two young children have been confined to a room in the Officers’ family ward of the Command Hospital since Sept.5. According to the official version she suffers from “paranoia” and has been referred here for further treatment by the MH Secunderabad. Therefore, she cannot be released at this juncture. She can po away, if she gives Us in writing that she does not want to be treated here” Brig C.P.Bajpal, commandant of the hospital, says Capt. Sharma and her husband however, have alleged “harassment” by the authorities, Dr.P.C. Kakkar, her husband, filed a petition before the judicial magistrate, first class, in the cantonment court, Pune, to seek her discharge. The court dismissed the petition on the ground that the matter had already been moved before the Andhra Pradesh High Court by filing an habeas corpus writ petition.
Dr Kakkar has not decided to file a fresh petition before the magistrate. He has stated that he will file fresh petitions to secure his wife’s release,
Capt Sharma, a nurse with the Army since 1983 and based in Secunderabad, says she was an eyewitness to the rape of her col league, a nurse, in the military hospital at Secunderabad on Oct.2,1992. Her husband, Dr.P.C. Kakkar, a cardiologist, was also a Witness to the incident, according to affidavits signed by her and appeals made to the Prime Minister and the president.
When the local Army police authorities did not register the rape victim’s complaint, Capt Sharma approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Aug.1993 and filed @ writ petition, stating that the movements of the victim were being restricted by the hospital authorities and was not being allowed to lodge a complaint,
A Division Bench of the AP high court issued a notice on July 12,1993 to the Army and the police authorities to produce the victim before the court.
Since then, Capt. Sharma is being “harassed” says her husband. Dr.Kakkar alleges that his wife was illegally confined in the MI room of the artillery center. Golconda, Hyderabad by the commandant officer to prevent her from opposing the bail application of the accused.
“My wife was to go before the court with her statements in the Tape case, She was illegally detained to prevent her from attending court as she is an eyewitness to the case,” Dr. Kakkar alleges.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 5, 1993
