K'taka HC upholds dismissal of CISF constables accused of raping colleague's wife

Bengaluru, June 22

Karnataka High Court has upheld the order of dismissal of eight CISF constables from service in connection with alleged gang rape and blackmail case.

The accused had allegedly gang raped and blackmailed their colleague's wife, which led to their dismissal. Later they approached the High Court against the dismissal order by the CISF's Disciplinary Authority.

The complaint was lodged in 2015 by the victim.

According to the complainant, one of the accused persons had allegedly befriended her. Taking advantage of the friendship, he blackmailed and raped her. Later other accused persons had threatened the victim that they would make her affair public and gang raped her.

Taking serious note of the incident, CISF had dismissed the accused from the service.

The CISF Disciplinary Authority had stated that "discipline and morality are paramount in the organisation and the act done by the accused could not be forgiven. The act which has taken place will have negative consequences on the husband who was away on duty".

Dismissing all the accused from the service, the authority also opined that the act of accused persons would also make other staff, who leave behind their family and go faraway places on duty, insecure.

Meanwhile, all eight accused were acquitted of the criminal charges by the trial court. After the order, the appeal was filed in the High Court questioning their dismissal. It was argued that from the statement of the complainant recorded in the criminal case "it was evident that she was a consenting party to the alleged incident".

The High Court stated that the incidents like this will bring down the morality of police constables and dismissal order by CISF is appropriate. The order was given recently (June 15) by the division bench headed by Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J.M. Khazi.