Wing Commander Pooja Thakur led the Guard of Honour when US President Barack Obama visited India for the R-Day parade in 2015. PTI file photo

New Delhi, July 14

Wing Commander Pooja Thakur, who led the Guard of Honour during US President Barack Obama’s visit here last year, today moved the Armed Forces Tribunal after being denied a permanent commission.Her lawyer claimed that the IAF had a “dual policy” on permanent commission when it came to men and women, a charge strongly denied by sources in the IAF.Admitting the matter, the tribunal has sought IAF’s response in four weeks. Giving details, IAF sources said permanent commission was not something which was doled out. They underlined that an officer, man or woman, had to first willingly seek permanent commission and then meet the laid down criteria.They said 37-year-old Thakur was commissioned into the Administration Branch on June 16, 2001. At that time an officer of the Short Service Commission could serve for five years and then opt for another six years, as  per rules framed on November 25, 1991.  The scheme was extended by another four years in 2003, raising the total service period to 15 years.“One year prior to the end of the second tenure, one has to give in writing whether he/she wants to retire, wants permanent commission or wants another extension,” the sources said.They said of the 12 women officers in Thakur’s batch, 10 had opted for permanent commission.“All the 10 other officers were granted permanent commission. Wing Commander Pooja explicitly sought an extension of four years. Another officer opted to retire,” the sources said. Interestingly, in July 2015, Thakur put in an application for premature separation from the  force which she said would be effective from January 2016. However, in December last year she changed her mind and said she wanted to continue till retirement, a request which was accepted by the IAF. Thakur, who is undergoing a course at the MDI Gurgaon, funded largely by the IAF, put in an application about 10 days prior to her retirement seeking permanent commission, which the IAF rejected. — PTI