Anjali Gupta's kin slams IAF, court martial
Anjali Gupta at Haridwar in 1994
While 29-year-old Anjali Gupta, a flying officer with the Indian Air Force, faces court-martial, questions are being raised about the charges of sexual harassment she has leveled against her seniors.
According to Gupta's family, Anjali was being sexually harassed for a long time by her seniors and her complaints only resulted in repeated departmental transfers.
"Apparently, the IAF (Indian Air Force) considers not reporting for physical training a more heinous crime than sexual harassment of women," says Uma Gupta, Anjali's mother.
Anjali Gupta during her training as an IAF officer
"Are these charges so serious that they require Anjali to be court-martialled?" she questions.
"Even if she had committed these crimes, wouldn't an internal memo or a reprimand do? Court-martial my daughter if she is involved in corruption, espionage or if she is a great threat to the nation's security.
You don't court-martial for something that needs a slap on the wrist."
Harassment charges
With her colleagues at a birthday celebration in 2001
Anjali's first posting was in Belgaum in 2001 as a short services commission officer. "She never had any problem there," states her mother, adding that the trouble began when she was transferred to Bangalore a year ago.
Jitender Garg, Anjali's brother-in-law, says she has always been a straightforward girl who never compromised on anything. She was the lone woman officer in her Bangalore office.
"She refused to play ball with senior officers who wanted her to 'co-operate' with them in various ways including participating in collecting bribes for recruitment of cooks and others. (Apparently the going rate for a cook in the force is Rs two lakh)," he reveals.
Jitender claims Gupta was forever being harassed for illegal favours. "The more she refused to join them at parties in the night, the more she was harassed.
Anjali attending a seminar at the Hindu College in Sonepat as a lecturer of psychology
In fact, Anjali had earlier complained to her seniors about the drunken behavior of Sq Ldr Choudhary who was even issued a Form10 by the IAF.
Every time she complained to higher authorities about malpractices in her department, she would be moved to another department. She was moved around 6-7 times in the last one year," he states.
Repeated complaints
According to them, she had made around 20 complaints to the IAF authorities about sexual harassment at the workplace. "Anjali even met Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi last year and spoke to him personally about the harassment," informs Jitender.
Uma Gupta, Anjali's mother with her brother-in-law Jitender Garg
"She had requested for an appointment with the chief in Bangalore and was refused permission.
In such a scenario, when the IAF that has its own jurisdiction and laws, and refuses to even hear a women officer's plea, what is she supposed to do? So Anjali filed a case in the Delhi High Court, which was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds.
On February 3, she filed an FIR in Bangalore against Sq Ldr R S Choudhary, Wing Commander V C Cyriac and Air Commodore Anil Chopra. She also wrote to the Karnataka Women's Commission. She had no other recourse."
Sources say the IAF was irked when Anjali sought the civil authority's help. "Instead of looking into the sexual harassment complaints, they quickly called for court-martial on trumped-up charges," Jitender says.
Probe into the case
The IAF has formed a committee to look into the sexual harassment case, which begins proceedings on Monday. "What is the use?" questions Uma. "The committee consists of members of the force, there isn't a single member who is an outsider.
They have even refused the Women's Commission's request to include one of their members in the committee."
Yesterday, when Uma met Anjali, the latter said, "I have no faith in the uniform anymore. I will not get justice here."
Currently, Anjali has been kept under closed arrest with 24-hour surveillance because the IAF fears that she might hurt herself, since she mentioned in her letter to the Karnataka Women's Commission that she feels "like committing suicide because of the harassment".
An agitated Uma asks, "What sort of justice is this? You put the one who complained of sexual harassment under closed arrest but you let the perpetrators of the crime go scot-free? But we will fight it out. If I don't get justice here, I will seek the higher courts. They wanted to finish my daughter's career.
She was supposed to finish her short services commission in June 2006. They have ruined my child's life," she cries.
Constant travelling to meet her daughter in the IAF premise in Bangalore has affected her health. "I requested them to give me a place to stay close to my daughter. But I was refused permission," says Uma.
'A go-getter'
Uma, a PG economics teacher in a government school in Delhi came to know about her daughter's court-martial through the newspapers, on her return from school at around 3 pm last week.
"I was shocked. I wanted to be with my daughter immediately. But I couldn't. I had to wait for four days before I could get leave and arrange for my husband (who is on dialysis) to be taken care of."
Her brave demeanor cracks a bit when Uma says, "My daughter is a caring and sensitive child.
She never told my husband or me about the harassment that she had been facing for the past one year. She had only told us that she was facing some problems, though she had shared her problems with her older sister Alka and brother-in-law Jitender."
The second child in a family of three daughters, Anjali has always been a go-getter.
"She was a brilliant child," reminisces Uma. An MA, MPhil in psychology from Delhi University, Anjali refused to conform and get married. "She would say, 'I want to do something in life, explore the world. I don't want to get tied down.' She was always a topper.
She kept herself busy. Always learning new things ? painting, clay modeling, baking. She is very creative. All my daughter wanted was to make something out of her life."
Proceedings
Currently, Uma is in Bangalore to give her daughter "moral support". Anjali's father is in Delhi since he has to undergo dialysis regularly. "This incident has shattered our family completely," says Uma.
"Anjali has lost eight-ten kg," she weeps. Anjali's brother-in-law Jitender adds, "They are trying to break her down mentally. Anjali is a strong person. But prolonged mental torture can break even the strongest of people," says Jitender.
According to him, Anjali's day begins at 6 am and she has to undergo medical examinations every day before appearing for her court-martial at 9 am.
This goes on till 6 pm after which she is taken to the mess. She is allowed to meet her family after that. "She is under constant surveillance. She has no privacy.
They even listen to her private conversations with her family. How can she prepare her defence or discuss with her counsel when they are listening to every word that she utters? They have given her permission to seek counsel over the phone.
How can you prepare for a case over the phone when you know your lines are tapped?" he questions though the family is pinning their hopes on Anjali's never-say-die attitude.
Ironically, Anjali Gupta will go down in history as the first woman officer to be court-martialled after women were inducted into the force in the 90s.
"What will happen to her in the future? She is innocent. But, even if justice is served, this black mark will remain on her life forever," weeps Uma.
The charges
? Obtaining road transport allowance of Rs 1,080 with a false statement.
? Claiming train fare for travel by Rajdhani Express from Bangalore to Delhi, when she actually used a service aircraft.
? Claiming road transport allowance for July 7, 2004 for travel from the Aircraft Systems and Testing Establishment to Headquarters Training Command despite being posted to the training command in May, 2005
? Behaviour unbecoming of an officer in throwing a breakfast parcel meant for a senior officer.
? Not reporting for physical training
? Not reporting for ordered duty on four days in Jan 2004
? Not reporting for duty on another occasion
The case
? February: Anjali Gupta taken in custody
? April 25: A three-member tribunal of the Indian Air Force initiated court-martial proceedings against Gupta. The Karnataka High Court issued a notice to the Bangalore police and the Central Bureau of Investigation to follow up Gupta's complaints of sexual harassment.
? April 27: The IAF announced a Court of Inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment against the three officials, while the Bangalore police served notices to Sq Ldr R S Choudhary and Wing Commander V C Cyriac asking them to appear before the police