The Hindu : National : High Court rejects Anjali's petition

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Wednesday, May 11, 2005

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National

High Court rejects Anjali's petition

Staff Reporter

"Leave was cancelled to harass me... no notice was taken of complaints"

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday refused to stay the general court martial and other proceedings by the Indian Air Force against Flying Officer Anjali Gupta.

Ms. Gupta said she was commissioned in July 2000 as a Flying Officer. She was posted to Air Force Station, Belgaum, as an Education Officer. In November 2003, she was posted to the Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Bangalore. She was also asked to undertake additional administrative responsibilities. During the first week of November 2003, she was asked to prepare a merit list for selection of the Principal to the Air Force School.

She alleged that Squadron Leader R.S. Chowdry wanted her to place a particular person on top of the merit list. He reportedly told her that the list had been approved by Wing Commander V.C. Cyriac and Air Commodore Anil Chopra. She said she cooperated with the two officers in this regard.

The petition said that during the last week of November 2003 Wing Commander Cyriac gave her a list of names to be selected as cooks and waiters. When she did not cooperate, she incurred the wrath of Squadron Leader Chowdry, Wing Commander Cyriac and Air Commodore Chopra who, she claimed, began harassing her for not "listening" to them.

She said she was granted 10 days annual leave between December 2003 and January 2004. She claimed the leave was cancelled midway when she was attending to her father who had been admitted to Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, for dialysis after suffering from Hepatitis-C.

It was stated that the three officers created problems for Ms. Gupta and from May 2004 she was issued several letters, all of them trying to find fault with her duties and activities. After August 12, 2004, they gave her seven letters of warning, show-cause notices and reminders.

Investigation

On August 26, the then Commandant of ASTE ordered an investigation into the issue and named Wing Commander Mukkey as the Presiding Officer. Later, Wing Commander Mukkey was replaced with Group Captain R. Jaikumar. During October, a charge sheet was drawn up against her, the petition said.

Although she filed complaints, no notice was taken of them. After she filed a complaint on February 3, 2005 with the HAL police, she was placed under arrest till February 9. This, she said, was done to ensure that she did not follow up on her complaint. She then filed a writ in the High Court, which is pending.

She said she was again placed under arrest from April 12.

`Engage a lawyer'

The jury of the general court martial trying Flying Officer Ms. Gupta granted her five days to engage a lawyer to defend her case before it. It also directed her to appear before the four-member Court of Inquiry, inquiring into allegations of sexual harassment levelled by her against the three IAF officers, on Wednesday.

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