New Delhi, Feb. 21: The Supreme Court was today told that the Indian Air Force will re-appoint an officer who has retired after being found unfit for promotion to the rank of air marshal.

Air Vice-Marshal Harish Masand retired after an IAF promotion board turned down his bid to be promoted to air marshal (equivalent to lieutenant general in the army). But Delhi High Court had ruled that the promotion policy was faulty.

Following that order the Supreme Court had asked for the IAF?s recommendations on promotions in accordance with a new policy.

In its recommendation, the IAF had again turned down the candidatures of Air Vice-Marshal Masand and Air Vice-Marshal T.S. Chatwal. Masand and Chatwal had challenged the IAF decision.

But today, solicitor general G.E. Vahanvati told a bench of Justices Y.K. Sabharwal and P.P. Naolekar that Masand would be taken back.

The bench had earlier asked him to ?closely examine? the fresh list of air marshals selected by the special promotion board in accordance with the 2004 promotion policy.

The solicitor general had proposed that Masand be absorbed as an air marshal even if the IAF did not have vacant positions in that rank. A supernumerary post would be created for the purpose.

Defence secretary Ajai Vikram Singh and the chief of air staff, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi, had earlier been consulted by the solicitor general.

Defence sources said that the solicitor general had made the proposal to absorb Masand in a supernumerary position in his capacity as an ?officer of the court?.

According to the proposal, Masand would be given the monetary benefits and the rank of an air marshal and he would retire in January 2006.