Sept. 11: The first lady military officer to be court-martialled and eventually dismissed from the Indian Air Force has allegedly committed suicide in Bhopal.

Anjali Gupta, 35, was found dead today in Shahpura at a relative’s residence. She was dismissed from service five years ago after being found guilty of several charges, including insubordination and indiscipline.

Anjali had alleged that her superiors had tried to sexually harass her but the court of inquiry concluded that her allegations were unsubstantiated.

Bhopal superintendent of police Rajesh Singh Bhadoria said Anjali had arrived in the city on September 7 to stay with a relative, Group Captain Amit Gupta. She was reportedly on her way to Bangalore, where she was working in a private company, but broke her train journey. Amit, who is posted in Nagpur, had left for Delhi for a family event.

When Amit returned to Bhopal last night, Anjali did not open the door, police sources said. Amit spent the night at a relative’s home and alerted the police this morning.

The police broke open the door and found Anjali’s body hanging from a ceiling fan. The body has been sent for post-mortem.

Anjali, a former flying officer with the IAF, was 29 when she was dismissed after a general court martial found her guilty and recommended in December 2005 that she be “cashiered” — stripped of her rank and discharged.

After a petition by her, then Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi, diluted the sentence to “dismissal”.

She was accused of embezzling funds, throwing food at a superior, insubordination, indiscipline and having demonstrated “conduct unbecoming of an officer”.