Woman Army officer accuses seniors of sexual harassment

CHANDIGARH: An Army officer in Haryana on Tuesday levelled charges of sexual harassment against her seniors, bringing the force���s claims of 'greatly valuing' the contribution of women to its ranks under further scrutiny. ()
Capt Poonam Kaur of Army supply corps, who is posted at Kalka, accused her seniors, including her commanding officer, of "sexually and mentally harassing" her in the past few months.An Army spokesperson denied the charges.
The shocking allegations of the woman officer come at a time when a Major General is facing court martial at Bathinda on similar charges.
Talking to TOI on the phone, Capt Poonam Kaur alleged that her commanding officer Col R K Sharma, Lt Col Ajay Chawla and Major Suraj Bhan had physically and mentally harassed her after she turned down their physical advances.
She also accused them of keeping her in illegal confinement in her quarters at the Kalka military station. Capt Poonam Kaur claimed the harassment has been going on ever since her posting to the ASC unit, Kalka, in October 2007. She said her efforts to resolve the problem with the intervention of Army authorities failed on Tuesday, when her mother and younger brother, who were staying with her, were thrown out of the quarters and she was illegally detained there.
"They used to call me to the office without any reason and would force me to stay during late-night parties," she claimed, adding when the seniors' conduct became unbearable, she asked her grandmother and mother to stay with her.
"On Sunday, I wrote to the Major General," she said. However, subsequently, her mother and brother were thrown out of the units on Tuesday, she added.
Army unit denies charges
Denying the allegations, a defence spokesman said an officer of the rank of Major General visited the Kalka unit and saw for himself that Capt Poonam Kaur had not been put under house arrest.
"The Major General, ASC, visited the ASC Battalion where he met the commanding officer and tried to meet the woman officer. However, she refused to emerge out of her quarters," the spokesperson added. The Army officials said on June 30, Capt Poonam Kaur was ordered to move to Pathankot for commanding a detachment of her unit located there.
Though she accepted the orders, the officer - citing personal reasons - requested to leave by July 11, they said, adding when asked again on July 11, she asked for permission to go by July 12. This was also agreed to, the officials said.