INDIA: Six staffers of the Air Force Technical College (AFTC) located at Jalahalli, Bengaluru in Karnataka have been named in the suspicious death of a 27-year-old student Ankit Kumar Jha, who was found dead on the college premises on Wednesday, September 21.
An offence under section 302 IPC was registered at the Gangammanagudi police station based on a complaint filed around 2.20 am on Thursday by the deceased’s brother, Aman Jha, a native of Uttam Nagar in West Delhi.
Ankit died by hanging himself, leaving behind a seven-page death note, allegedly mentioning the names of all the six suspects.
DCP (North Bengaluru) Vinayak Patil told media agencies that the offence has been registered against the six suspects, who are of the ranks of Air Commodore, Group Captain, and Wing Commander. “The officers against whom the complaint was lodged have not been arrested, but the Indian Air Force has assured us of all its assistance. We are waiting for the post-mortem report to carry forward the investigation,” Patil added.
The Indian Air Force (IAF), in a statement issued here on Sunday, said that there are reports in the media about the death of Under Trainee Flying Officer (UTFO) Ankit Kumar Jha at Air Force Technical College (AFTC), Bengaluru on September 21.
The deceased UTFO joined the IAF in February 2021 and was undergoing training at the Air Force Technical College (AFTC). His training was terminated on September 20, after informing his father of the same. Termination of training was the result of recommendations made by a Court of Inquiry (COI), which was instituted following a complaint by a fellow female trainee officer against the UTFO on June 30.
It had been established that the UFTO had committed certain acts of misconduct. The inquiry proceedings were duly examined at multiple levels before being approved at Air HQ, as per established procedure on the subject.
As per the existing norms, an IAF officer was deputed to convey the news of this unfortunate happening to the parents of the late UFTO AK Jha in New Delhi. A post mortem examination was conducted on September 23 and the report is awaited. A Court of Inquiry by the IAF is underway to establish the circumstances leading to the death of the UTFO. On September 24, his kin visited AFTC. They were briefed about the incident.
The Indian Air Force condoles the unfortunate loss of life and prays for strength for the bereaved family in their time of grief. The IAF is cooperating with the investigation being conducted by the police on the matter.
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