NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force’s General Court Martial (GCM) that probed the accidental shooting down of a Mi-17 V5 helicopter in February 2019, a day after the Balakot attack in Pakistan, has recommended the dismissal of a Group Captain. Sources said the GCM ordered the sacking of Group Captain Suman Roy Chowdhury, who was serving as Chief Operations Officer of the Srinagar Air Force Station at that point in time.
The probe determined that the attack helicopter was struck by the IAF’s surface-to-air missile when the chopper was on its way back to Srinagar on February 27, the day Indian and Pakistani air forces were engaged in a dogfight on the Line of Control.
The Mi-17V5 had crashed in the Budgam area shortly after take-off killing all six onboard and one civilian on the ground. The GCM’s decision is yet to be sent to the IAF chief for confirmation. “The verdict of GCM is subject to confirmation by the competent authority. Hence, the officer has not been dismissed from service,” a defence source said.
Sources said the IAF can act on the GCM’s recommendation only after a decision on a case relating to the incident by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Last month, the HC is understood to have allowed the GCM to pronounce its verdict while stating it must not be implemented till the court disposes of the case.