NEW DELHI: Supreme Court today granted interim stay on an appeal filed by the Centre against the Armed Forces Tribunal's decision granting permanent commission and reinstatement of a retired lady wing commander.
The Court issued notice to Namrita Chandi for May 9.
A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and U U Lalit passed the order after hearing Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand and Advocate Col. R Balasubramaanian who explained that none of the women officers from Short Service Commission have been given a permanent commission since 2004.
They submitted that only women officers in the administrative, education and accounts were considered for permanent commission from the SSC.
The Centre has challenged Armed Forces Tribunal's order granting permanent commission to the Wing Commander.
On September 18, 2015, the Armed Forces Tribunal had ordered that the wing commander was entitled to be granted permanent commission and also ordered her reinstatement in service.
The Tribunal had also passed similar orders for two other women officers, Wing Commanders Saumya Ratha and Nivedita Roy.
Chandi was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an SSC officer on June 29, 1996 and granted initial commission of ten years. She was later granted an extension of five years which expired on June 29, 2011.