The Indian Air Force (IAF) has dismissed a Wing Commander from service for allegedly taking a bribe from a foreign vendor at the Aero India show in Bangalore in 2011.
According to IAF sources, Wing Commander A.K. Thakur was dismissed after a General Court Martial (GCM) found him guilty of seeking bribe from French defence firm Dassault Aviation during the show in February 2011.
Dassault Aviation's Rafale, which has emerged as the winner for IAF's multi-billion dollar combat aircraft deal, was one of the six contenders in the tender when the alleged incident took place.
The General Court Martial had recommended Wing Commander Thakur's dismissal last year. The General Court Martial's recommendations could not be confirmed so far as the officer had approached the courts seeking relief.
