New Delhi, March 17
The Indian Air Force has asked Air Marshal M.S. Sekhon, who was Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command, to resign by tomorrow, defence sources said.
Air Marshal Sekhon, removed from his post and attached to Air Headquarters here, had been served a notice some days back to put in his papers for having lobbied with political leaders for assignment of AOC-in-C, Western Command.
Defence officials here said if he failed to resign, he could face strong administrative action, which could include dismissal. The officer has 15 months’ service left.
Any court martial proceedings, officials said, would entail putting up a court martial board with five officers senior to the Air Marshal. There are currently two officers senior to Sekhon, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy and Western Air Force Commander Air Marshal V.K. Bhatia.
UNI adds: Reports suggested that the senior Air Force officer was contemplating legal redressal. He had reportedly taken the stand that he had not committed any mistake by seeking political blessings as some other Air Force officers had done the same in the past.
Sekhon had recently conducted a court of inquiry into the incident of firing on an IAF AN 32 transport aircraft near Kargil on February 19. The inquiry report is yet to be made public.
