An army officer, in the rank of Colonel, posted at the Central Ordnance Depot (COD) in Kanpur, allegedly raped his friend's Russian wife at the officer's mess in the Cantt area after sedating the husband.

The incident took place on December 10, but came to light when an FIR was lodged against the Colonel under section 376 (rape) and other relevant section of IPC following a complaint by the woman's husband at the Cantt police station on Saturday.

According to the woman's husband, his friend Neeraj Gehlot, who is Colonel in COD, invited him and his Russian wife for dinner at his place. He agreed and they reached Kanpur from Lucknow on December 10.

Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar Agarwal said, "After shopping in the day, they went to the Colonel's official bungalow in COD where the latter offered him a drink laced with sedatives. Soon after consuming it, he became unconscious. The Colonel then dragged his friend's wife to another room and tried to force himself on her. She pushed him away and shouted, but he brutally assaulted her. The woman lost her consciousness."

The woman narrated her ordeal to her husband when he regained consciousness. The victim's husband accompanied her to the Cantt police station on Sunday to file a complaint. He told police that his wife was a Russian and had been living in India for the past 10 years.

The police officer said, "We have sent the woman for a medical examination and the report is awaited."

Police said the survivor would be produced before a magistrate on Monday.

"The Colonel is currently on the run," the SP added.