HYDERABAD: An army Colonel working in Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was arrested by the Rajendranagar police on charges of raping and impregnating a degree student.
The officer maintained relationship with the girl’s mother, who has been living separately from her husband. The accused officer has been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody on Tuesday.
According to police, Colonel Rishi Sharma (44), was working as an administration officer at DRDO. During the course of time, he developed proximity with a woman from Upparpally in Rajendranagar. The woman has been separated from her husband for around three years.
The woman was living along with her 19-year-old daughter and elder son. About four months ago, when the girl’s mother went to Nellore in AP, Colonel Sharma allegedly used to visit their house in Upparpally on the pretext of helping the children and dropping them at college, said the police.
“One day, after dropping the girl’s brother at his college, the Colonel went back home and raped the girl. He threatened the girl to not reveal to her mother. The woman noticed the unusual growth of her daughter’s stomach and took her to a hospital where she learnt that her daughter was pregnant. She lodged a complaint based on which colonel Rishi was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on Monday,” said the police.
Update:
Reacting to this report, about the Union Defence Ministry issued a statement that the officer concerned, Col Rishi Sharma, does not work at the DRDO Centre in Shamirpet, Hyderabad and is in no way connected with the DRDO.
Rajendranagar police inspector V Umender, however, told Express that the accused Col Rishi Sharma had claimed he was working at DRDO as an administrative officer and the same had been recorded in the remand report. "However, we are re-verifying his claims," Umender said.