33 years after ignominious exit, SC orders honourable farewell for former IAF pilot | India News
NEW DELHI: Noting that it is respect that is the most important thing for a defense personnel, Supreme Court Wednesday ordered that a septuagenarian former Dr Indian Air Force The pilot, who had to face a humiliating exit from the job 33 years ago, will now be given an honorable discharge as his dismissal was arbitrary and in violation of the law.After a long legal battle spanning 33 years, the officer’s SC restored his honor by holding his termination illegal and directed the Center to pay him 50% pay and allowances from 1993 till the date of his retirement and all promotional and pensionary benefits.“Justice demands that the indignity with which the appellant has had to live for over three decades be erased, that his wrongful termination of employment be set aside and that his honor be restored…. The order of dismissal dated September 22, 1993 is set aside. Appellant cannot be re-instated after the expiry of his service period. As per law, he is entitled to claim all incidental service benefits which would have accrued to him, if he is not bound by such illegal order of dismissal,” said a bench of Justices Dipankar Dutta and KV Viswanathan.“Restoration of dignity remains the foremost concern of the defense personnel. We restore it by directing that on a date fixed by the Air Chief, the appellant shall be signed in the normal manner as he would otherwise have been eligible, but for the order of dismissal,” the bench said. Sqn Ldr R Sood was ordered by his senior to drive a drunk driver out of the campus and following that order Sood took him to a secluded place where a dead body was later found. He was tried in a criminal court but acquitted as there was no evidence against him. However, he was court-martialed leading to his dismissal in 1993.
