New Delhi: Wing Commander Pooja Thakur, who led the Guard of Honour for US President Barack Obama at Rashtrapati Bhawan during his visit in January 2015, has moved court after the Indian Air Force (IAF) denied permanent commission to her.
In her petition, Thakur termed the IAF's decision as "biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable".
Thakur's Lawyer Sudhanshu Pandey informed that Armed Forces Tribunal has admitted the matter and has sought IAF's response within 4 weeks.
Last year, Thakur became the first lady officer to lead the Inter-Service Guard of Honour which was inspected by Obama at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
A 2000-batch officer of the Air Force Academy, Hyderabad, Thakur, who hails from Rajasthan, has served in the IAF for over 13 years. She is now posted at the publicity cell, DISHA, at the Delhi Air Headquarters. She is also a para jumper.
Thakur’s father retired as a Colonel from the Indian Army.
Recently, three women Flying Cadets -- Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh -- scripted history when they became the first women pilots to be commissioned in the fighter squadron of the IAF.