Wednesday, May 11 2005 19:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: The Court of Inquiry (CoI) constituted by the IAF to look into the sexual harassment charges made by Anjali Gupta against three of her superiors today (May 11, 2005) adjourned indefinitely after she sought time to concentrate and defend herself in the General Court Martial (GCM) against her on different charges.

Air Vice Marshal V R Iyer, who heads the four-member team that includes two women, told reporters that Gupta filed an application this afternoon with the IAF Training Command in Bangalore, saying that she cannot make the statement to the Col when the court martial was on and the IAF had accepted her plea and adjourned the inquiry till the GCM is completed.

"She (Gupta) has requested that the CoI be temporarily set aside so that she can concentrate on her defence at the GCM," Iyer said, adding, the team would come again after the GCM proceedings are over. "We are hoping it will be soon".

30-year old Gupta is facing GCM on charges including insubordination, indiscipline and financial irregularities, and the court has adjourned till May 16 for Gupta to bring her civil defence counsel to fight her case, after she rejected the defence officer of choice from the IAF.

"We had set up the CoI to enable her to make her point of view and investigate into the various allegations she has made," Iyer said, adding, Gupta, who was to appear before the inquiry at 9 am failed to turn up and subsequently filed the application when she was given notice to appear at 1 pm.

He said the team - a fact finding one - has looked into all her charges and relevant documents but had to take a statement by Gupta under oath before it could proceed further.