Retired IAF Sergeant approaches court alleging another officer was awarded for his bravery act, next hearing on November 7

Retired IAF Sergeant Gyanshyam Singh said although his name was recommended for the Gallantry award for saving the life of a pilot, it was awarded to a flight lieutenant. He pleaded for justice at all levels in the Air Force but failed. Finally he approached the high court and the next hearing of the case is scheduled on November 7.

Jodhpur: After pleading for justice at all levels in the Air Force, Sergeant Gyanshyam Singh, now retired, approached the Delhi High Court. The court has issued a notice in this regard to the central government on August 29.

Jodhpur-based Singh claimed that flight lieutenant Ravindra Rao was wrongly awarded the Vayu Sena Medal for saving a pilot's life in an accident in Agra airbase on November 6, 2021. He said that the work should have been attributed to him as it was he who had risked his life.

The bench of Justices Sanjiv Sachdeva and Manoj Jain of the Delhi High Court has issued a notice and summoned the respondent to submit an affidavit within six weeks in the case. The next hearing of the case has been listed on November 7.

Singh said there were several documents from RTI in which his name was recommended for this honour. When he filed a petition in the Air Force Tribunal (AFT) asking for documents from the Court of Inquiry, the AFT rejected his petition. After which, Singh filed a petition in the Delhi High Court.

Singh retired from the Air Force last year. While landing at Agra airbase at around 12.30 pm on November 6, 2021, an aircraft overturned and caught fire on the runway. Singh was posted on crash fire tender in Rescue-1 in the morning shift at that time. Seeing the accident, he took permission from ATC and entered the runway. He immediately approached the plane and started pouring foam.

According to Singh, at first he thought that the pilot had gone out, but when he noticed some movement in the cockpit, he stopped the foam spray and went closer to find that the pilot was hanging upside down. The injured pilot was trapped at the ejection seat. Singh said that he approached the pilot and began efforts to rescue him. Then, Lieutenant Ravindra Rao came and made efforts, but in the end, he left.

The former Sergeant claimed that he had rescued the pilot himself. He did not receive any honors though his name was sent by Agra Air Force Station Chief for the Air Force Medal for his act of bravery. But, Singh was replaced by Ravindra Rao from Air Force Headquarters. The President awarded him a medal for the work he did not do, Singh said.