The Hindu : Air Marshal Bhatia shifted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 25, 2002

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Air Marshal Bhatia shifted

By Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI APRIL 24. The Indian Air Force today transferred the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Air Command, V. K. Bhatia, to a relatively peripheral post at the Air Headquarters here for "straying into Pakistani airspace and then attempting to cover up his tracks." Air Marshal Bhatia would, however, will continue to hold the rank of Commander-in-Chief.

Sources said that Air Marshal Bhatia was shifted not because he inadvertently crossed the Line of Control while piloting a transport aircraft which suffered a missile hit from the Pakistani air defence but more because he did not "conform to officer-like behaviour expected of a senior officer." Air Marshal Bhatia was alleged to have first tried to "hide" the gravity of the incident, then accused the Indian Army of having fired at his aircraft and later tried to blame the original crew for navigational errors. Air Marshal Bhatia, due to retire in October, could technically reclaim a functional air command because a spate of retirements would leave the field open for a person of his experience to head a command.

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