In SC, IAF says it will take back Masand

Air Vice-Marshal Harish Masand, who had sued the government for being denied promotion to Air Marshal rank in 2003, is back in the force. The IAF told the Supreme Court today it would take back Masand who retired on January 3, 2004, in a supernumerary post, letting him serve till January 31, 2006.

Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati said today he had held extensive meetings with IAF chief ACM S.P. Tyagi and Defence Secretary A.V. Singh over the past two weeks on the list of four Air Marshals selected by the newly constituted special promotion board. The SC had asked Vahanvati to examine the promotion list made by the board for Air Marshals as the new board had confirmed the recommendations of the 2003 board which the plaintiff had contested.

The SC, which examined the freshly drawn up list by the new board, had said the board markings ‘‘have been considerably changed’’ and the ‘‘net result was that the promotion list remains unaltered’’. On December 13, it had directed the board to re-examine in three weeks the promotion of six AVMs to Air Marshal under the 2004 policy and submit the report confidentially.