Monday, April 25 2005 18:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: The Indian Air Force today (Apr 25, 2005) said that it is studying sexual harassment charges against its three officers levelled by a woman IAF official who is facing a court martial separately on grounds of indiscipline and insubordination and financial irregularities.

"Our judicial branch will study and if they find any truth in the allegations, then a fresh court martial will be ordered against those persons against whom she has made the allegations", IAF Training Command Senior Personnel Staff Officer Group Captain Ajay Masson told reporters in Bangalore.

Masson said that the officer Anjali Gupta had made sexual harassment charges in her April seven letter to the Chief of Air Staff and the Ministry of Defence but in none of the "25 odd" applications had she made similar charges in the last one and a half years after being posted, as the education officer at the Aircraft Systems and Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bangalore.

"The Chief (Air Marshal S P Tyagi) is monitoring it (the case) on a day to day basis", Masson said.

He said that the IAF conducted an inquiry by a senior officer in March on her February 11 complaint with Police regarding sexual harassment but it was "clearly brought out that the allegations were false".

Resuming the court martial after a three-day recess in a separate case against 30-year old Gupta, who is the first woman IAF official to undergo court martial, the court of inquiry today (Apr 25, 2005) adjourned further proceedings to April 27.

Gupta is facing the court martial since April 12 on six charges, including insubordination, displaying "unofficer like conduct" and financial irregularities.

Addressing reporters after the adjournment of the General Court Martial to April 27, IAF Training Command, Senior Personnel Staff Officer Group Captain Ajay Masson said that there were six charges against Gupta including insubordination, unofficer like conduct and financial irregularities.

He said that Gupta was repeatedly warned about her misconduct and given two show cause notices and later "summary of evidence" , getting evidence in writing from both sides, was ordered in October last, but she took leave on health grounds.

Meanwhile, she filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court, which was dismissed, Masson said, and added that she resumed for duty in mid January.

The summary of evidence was still on. She continued to evade in the inquiry and later she was put under close arrest. This process was getting delayed and her evidence was taken and sent to the training command," Masson said.

He said that Gupta filed a police complaint in February against three of her seniors on charges of sexual harassment, but upon inquiry by a senior officer, it was found that the allegations were false.

Masson said that the adjournment today was due to the request by the defending officer seeking 48 hours time to know more about the case.

"She (Gupta) is not guilty, she is an accused," he said, saying that the GCM, presided by a Group Captain, will decide on what the verdict should be.

"It will be a fair deal. Whatever the court decides, she will be given. If it is a punishment, it will be served and if she is absolved, there is no stigma attached to it," he said.