Tribunal alters gay ex-IAF man 'dismissal' to 'routine discharge'

Instead of granting the discharge, IAF initiated a court of inquiryNEW DELHI: The principal bench of Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has converted the order of dismissal of a non-commissioned IAF officer, who confessed to being gay, into a routine discharge.The bench, headed by Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Rasika Chaube, ruled that substituting dismissal with routine discharge prevents lasting career stigma for the ex-officer seeking employment outside the armed forces.The non-commissioned IAF officer, who had served about 10 and a half years, had applied for a compassionate premature discharge in 2024 to settle down with his partner, disclosing his relationship in an application.Instead of granting the discharge, IAF initiated a court of inquiry. The inquiry concluded he had breached di