Army man jailed for molesting lady cadet

A court martial found  Naik J Prakash, posted as ‘physiotherapist assistant’ at the Physiotherapy Centre of academy, guilty, sources said. 

Naik Prakash, a native of Metupet in Dindugal, was attached to the OTA physiotherapy faculty at St Thomas Mount.  

In April 2015, a woman cadet of the OTA had sought treatment at the centre. The charge was that the jawan repeatedly misbehaved with the cadet, causing her to lodge a complaint with the authorities.  

Following this, he was tried before the District Court Martial on three charges, including use of criminal force on a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty.

He was also accused of administering physiotherapy treatment to the cadet in the absence of a woman attendant, in violation of norms.  He was dismissed from service and sentenced to Rigorous Imprisonment for two years in June this year. Court martials follow IPC-based military laws and regulations while deciding on punishment for violators. 

After completing the formalities, Prakash was handed over to the Nandambakkam police inspector with a warrant to execute the sentence. The police took him to the Puzhal jail and lodged him there on Friday.