IAF dismisses Wing Commander for demanding Rs 20,000 bribe from French firm

Thakur was accused of demanding bribe for allotting a ‘more advantageous position’ for its Rafale aircraft in the ‘static’ aircraft display section at the biennial airshow,the sources said.

An official of Dassault Aviation,who had filed a complaint against the officer,also appeared before the GCM headed by a Group Captain-rank officer,the sources said.

Dassault Aviation’s Rafale,which has now won the race for IAF’s multi-billion dollar combat aircraft deal,was one of the six contenders in the hotly-contested tender when the alleged incident took place.

The GCM had recommended Thakur’s dismissal last year itself but its recommendations could not be confirmed so far as the officer had approached the courts seeking relief.