First woman who received gallantry award to fight a legal battle to remain in Army

After being the only Army woman to win a gallantry award, Lt Colonel Mitali Madhumita is now fighting to stay in the force.

Thirty nine-year-old Mitali had joined the Indian Army under the Short Service Commission.

Mitali has now decided to move the Supreme Court after her request for permanent commission was turned down by the Ministry of Defence.

According to the ministry, Mitali had earlier rejected an offer of permanent commission in 2010, and the offer cannot be extended again.

Mitali became the first woman officer to be honoured with a gallantry award following a terrorist attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul in 2010. In Kabul on an United Nations mission at that time, she had helped save a lot of lives during the attack. Though her responsibility in Kabul was to teach at facilities, she had rushed to the site of the attack and saved lives of many who got trapped.