An Army colonel has been arrested after being accused of raping his friend’s wife in the Cantonment area. The arrest occurred late Tuesday as the accused, identified as Col. Neeraj Gahlot, was reportedly attempting to flee to an undisclosed location to avoid apprehension, according to Superintendent of Police (East) Raj Kumar Agarwal.

The arrest follows an FIR lodged by the victim’s husband, a civilian, at the Cantonment police station. Police had been actively searching for Col. Gahlot after his mobile location was traced near the officers’ mess on Monday evening, though he managed to evade initial attempts at capture.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Nikhil Pathak, of Cantonment Circle, stated that a team led by Chakeri police SHO Ravi Srivastava was formed to apprehend the absconding officer. However, upon reaching his room, they found it locked from the outside.

The colonel, who was posted in Kanpur, was booked on Sunday for the alleged rape, which reportedly took place at the Officers’ Mess. According to the complainant, his wife is a Russian national who has resided in India for the past decade.

The complaint details how the accused allegedly invited his civilian friend to the Officers’ Mess and offered him an intoxicating drink, rendering him unconscious. Subsequently, the Army officer allegedly raped his friend’s wife and reportedly assaulted her when she resisted.

An official stated that following the alleged rape, the colonel took leave from his superiors and went into hiding to evade arrest. The rape survivor has since been presented before a judicial magistrate to record her statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).