Chandigarh, Feb. 23: A wing commander and a flight lieutenant were today booked for the mysterious death of an air force employee who relatives alleged was “beaten and tortured” over some accounting discrepancies.

Police said the body of Sachin Bahari, a young Group D employee working for the last four years as an accountant in the officer’s mess at Adampur Airforce Station, about 25km from Jalandhar, had been sent for post-mortem.

A defence spokesman, however, said it appeared to be a case of “suicide” but a probe was on. No arrests have been made yet.

Adampur police said Wing Commander Bharat Kumar and Flight Lieutenant Ram Kumar Mourya had been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) in connection with the death.

Sources said the IAF officers were charged on the basis of a complaint filed by Sachin’s relatives.

A relative said the 28-year-old, who got married on February 3, was “summoned” to the airbase last evening.

“He was summoned over some accounting discrepancies and was found dead after a party at the mess. We don’t know what happened there. But we believe he was beaten and tortured,” Paramjit Nayar, a relative, alleged.

Nayar said Sachin was an “honest” man and demanded a judicial probe into the death.

SSP Arpit Shukla acknowledged that the death was mysterious and would be probed thoroughly. “The body has been sent for post-mortem,” he added.

Defence spokesman Naresh Vig said an inquiry was on into the embezzlement of Rs 1.7 lakh from the airforce station.

“Sachin was called to join the inquiry which continued till late in the night yesterday. Since it was late he stayed in the station. In the morning he went to the toilet and came out vomiting. He was given first aid. The doctor found traces of some poisonous elements and an effort was made to wash his stomach. He was rushed to the military hospital where he passed away.”

Vig said Sachin had been working as an assistant accountant at the airforce station.

“He was very intelligent. The airforce is conducting a probe into the matter and it seems to be a case of suicide. But if foul play is detected, the guilty will be punished.”