Date:26/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/26/stories/2005042618200300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

IAF adjourns court martial proceedings to Wednesday

Staff Reporter

Counsel for accused seeks more time Counsel for accused seeks more time

BANGALORE: The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday today adjourned to Wednesday the court martial proceedings against a woman officer, Flight Lieutenant Anjali Gupta, who is facing charges of indiscipline, insubordination and financial irregularities. But the IAF was still studying the sexual harassment charges the officer had made against three officers.

An officer in the administrative wing of Aircraft Systems and Training Establishment (ASTE) here, Flt. Lt. Gupta has been facing court martial since April 12. Incidentally, this is the first such proceeding against a woman officer. She had filed a complaint against senior officers on charge of sexual harassment, and approached the Karnataka State Commission for Women and the High Court. Earlier, she filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court.

Judicial branch to

look into charges

On the sexual harassment charges, IAF Training Command Senior Personnel Staff Officer, Group Captain Ajay Masson said the IAF's judicial branch will study the matter. If they find any truth in the allegations, a court martial will be ordered against the officers accused by her, he told presspersons here.

Gp. Capt. Masson said the woman officer did not refer to the alleged sexual harassment in her more than 25 applications during her one-and-a-half year tenure as Education Officer at ASTE. The allegations were made only in her letter to the Chief of Air Staff and Ministry of Defence on April 7, he added.

Following her complaint to a local police station here on February 11, the IAF conducted an inquiry by a senior officer against the three officers she had accused of harassment. But it was clearly brought out that the allegations were false, Gp. Capt. Masson said. One of the three officers was transferred in December. On Monday, the court martial proceedings with Gp. Capt. Ganesh as presiding officer was adjourned after Flt. Lt. Gupta's defending officer, Wing Commander Bhupesh, sought 48 hours to study the case.