Thursday, May 26 2005 21:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: The Indian Air Force is handling the case of woman officer Anjali Gupta, facing court martial on several charges, in an "open and transparent manner" and the Indian Air Force (IAF) was not at war with Gupta, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi said today (May 26, 2005).

"I am the father figure of IAF. She (Gupta) is one of my officers. We are not at war with Anjali. She is our officer not anybody else," Tyagi told reporters in Bangalore. "We are paid to look after her (welfare).

He said Gupta's case was complex due to the court martial and the court of inquiry to look into the sexual allegation charges levelled by her against three of her superiors.

Tyagi said that Gupta was not kept in jail but was under close arrest (confined to a room with all privileges) as she had written on two or three occasions "I will take my life and I am frustrated".

He said Gupta was being referred to psychiatric evaluation after her life taking threats and had to be clinically evaluated to find out whether her threats were serious.

"There are civilians, there are ladies in the doctors team (verifying Gupta for psychiatric problems). We have nothing against anybody," Tyagi said, adding Gupta had not met him so far.

On the delay in the court martial proceedings, he said, part of it was due to changing the four defending officers by Gupta. "It is not a planned delay. It is happening".

He said there was a chain of command for redressal if a person in the IAF does not get justice from superiors.