Flying Officer vows to pursue fight for justice

Flying Officer Anjali Gupta has been dismissed from the Indian Air Force (IAF), but life has not defeated the gutsy 30-year-old woman, who levelled charges of sexual harassment against her three senior officers.

She is the first woman officer to face dismissal from the service after being found guilty by a court martial.

However, the General Court Martial's order has to be confirmed by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi. And Anjali's hopes now rest on her "father figure who at his level, should turn the verdict in my favour," she says.

Anjali filed an FIR early this year at the Hindustan Aeronautical Limited Police Station, Bangalore against her seniors, accusing them of sexual harassment.

After much pushing, the IAF set up an internal departmental enquiry, but not before court-martialling and trying her for embezzlement of funds, abstaining from duty and misconduct.

"The enquiry should have been conducted to look into my complaints against the offenders. But I was charged with indiscipline and treated as the accused."

Posted as administrator in-charge at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Bangalore, Anjali contends she was framed.

Gulf News spoke to Anjali Gupta in an exclusive interview.

Gulf News: When did the first instance of sexual harassment happen?

Anjali Gupta: It began in Bangalore in November 2003 prior to my officially joining the ASTE. One night Squadron Leader R. S. Choudhary entered my residential quarters in a highly inebriated condition.

When I reported the matter to Wing Commander V. C. Cyriac, he asked me to ignore it saying the Squadron Leader was in the habit of getting drunk and misbehaving with other women also. Since the harassment continued, I approached him as well as Air Commodore Anil Chopra repeatedly.

At this, they threatened to ruin my career. I was even told that I should forget my ego and self-respect for 15 days and I shall be shown heaven on earth.

To date the Squadron Leader stands on the Armed Forces Medical Services Form 10, which means the person is suffering from insanity.

In fact, he is undergoing psychiatric treatment.

You refused to team up and 'cooperate' with your seniors in various ways. How come the authorities never found any truth in your allegations?

I would say 'various immoral' ways. Incidentally, I was the only woman officer at the station then.

When officers against whom the complaint has been made are conducting the enquiry, what kind of justice would prevail?

Taking shelter behind the organisation, the officers have tried to turn the case against me. It is surprising that in their wisdom they did not find any evidence.

Whether it was under their own volition or their superiors, only they can say.

Why did you stay away from the panel once the probe started?

There had been no panel as such. Had there been any, I would have willingly participated in the enquiry to be conducted by it.

I had even asked for the terms and conditions on which the departmental enquiries were to be held.

And if I had to appear before it, I could be given terms and references the parameters on which the committee would look into. But I was denied it all.

I am still awaiting the outcome of my charges of sexual harassment against the three officers. I am ready to be summoned at any point and am willing to provide facts and proofs substantiating my complaints.

Action has been taken against you on charges of indiscipline and financial irregularities.

These are all cooked up charges. Imagine they are cashiering me now for Rs400 (Dh32), the amount that was entitled to me.

Initially they had 15 charges against me and prior to the trial stage even before the GCM was ordered, 7 charges were dropped.

I will not give up the fight and believe that the other forum will prove everything and all these charges will fall flat.

Senior officers said that the court martial proceedings against you were delayed due to frequent adjournments, as you changed nine defence lawyers in the last eight months.

It is the liability of the Air Force to provide me with a defence lawyer of my choice, which was never done.

On one pretext or the other, they kept designating lawyers of their own choice whom I refused to recognise. Finally, I filed a case in the High Court in Karnataka. And refusing to comply with their wishes hired a civil defence counsel at my own expense.

What did you go through while appearing for the court martial?

I was under 24-hour surveillance and put into close arrest for two months. There was no access to the phone and I was not even allowed to write. No lawyer and no family were allowed to meet me.

Having been kept in complete isolation, I was not allowed to meet my witnesses or collect my evidence.

You said you have no faith in the uniform and will not get justice.

If I had uttered such a statement it would mean ridiculing my own uniform. I was hopeful of the Air Force courts per se.

My statement was twisted in the records. I had said that an officer in uniform when given the right to speak on my behalf would not be able to do so as effectively as a civil lawyer.

Since he would be cross-questioning his own bosses, he could not be expected to question them like an independent advocate.

I would like to add that irrespective of the rank, if superiors are wrong, they should not be supported. One should not be in a job for the wrong reasons. I would rather leave the IAF than live in disgrace in the Services.

Have you been paid your salary regularly through all this?

It was stopped from the month of November 2004. But on orders of the GCM, I was paid five months salary in April 2005. Since then it is being paid regularly.

You were to finish your Short Service Commission in June 2006. Is your career ruined?

Definitely in the air force it is ruined. I was promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant with effect from December 2004. However, due to the disciplinary action the rank has been withheld, whereas my junior officers have been promoted.

What are your future plans?

I would first like to appeal to the Chief of the Air Staff to look into the matter and take the right decision. I would wait for his verdict.

Only after that would we think of adopting a legal recourse. But one thing is sure I will not take back the charges made against the three officers.

I will ensure that no woman, particularly in the armed forces, goes through the trauma I have done. I intend to continue with the fight.

A kite has got to rise against the wind and not with it.