Dismissal of IAF officer recommended for outraging modesty

Dismissal of IAF officer recommended for outraging modesty
PTI
Thursday, June 10, 2010 21:23 IST
New Delhi: A court martial has recommended dismissal of a senior IAF
officer after finding him guilty of "outraging the modesty" of junior
female colleague.
Wing Commander HS Virk, posted in Agra, was tried by the general court
martial (GCM) in Bareilly last month after a lady officer alleged that
he was passing objectionable comments on her.
The GCM, headed by Group Captain P Kumar, found him guilty and
recommended his dismissal.
While a confirmation of the sentence by the air officer
commanding-in-chief of Allahabad-based Central Command is awaited, Virk
has approached the Armed Forces Tribunal, contending that he was being
kept in "illegal detention" by the air force.
Appearing before the tribunal on Virk's behalf, his counsel Rajiv
Manglik said the GCM had recommended the Wing Commander's dismissal but
the IAF had kept him in confinement even though there was no sentence of
imprisonment.
Arguing against the plea, the IAF said Virk could not be released as the
sentence recommended by the GCM was yet to be confirmed by the higher
authorities.
Hearing both sides, the tribunal directed the IAF to release the officer
on bail and to send him on leave for two weeks.