SC instructs IAF not to remove Wing Commander from service

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday instructed the Central Government and the Indian Air Force (IAF) not to remove Wing Commander Nikita Pandey from service. Pandey, who participated in Operation Balakot and Operation Sindoor, has alleged discrimination after being denied a permanent commission in the Indian Armed Forces.

The order was issued by a two-judge bench headed by Justice Surya Kant, which also sought responses from the Centre and the IAF regarding her petition. The court stated that she must not be released from duty until further notice and scheduled the next hearing for August 6.

Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, representing Pandey, informed the court that Pandey is a highly skilled fighter controller who played a key role in the Integrated Air Command and Control Systems during Operations Sindoor and Operation Balakot, TNIE reported.

Emphasizing her distinguished service, Guruswamy noted that Pandey has served for more than 13.5 years but was affected by a 2019 policy that denied her a permanent commission, effectively ending her career after a month.

Guruswamy also pointed out that Pandey was ranked second in the national merit list for expert air fighter controllers. In response, the bench questioned Bhati, who appeared for the Centre and the IAF, about the reasons for denying Pandey a permanent commission in the Armed Forces.