The shocking incident, which took place in August last year but has come to light only recently, involved a Junior Warrant Officer (JWO) of the Air Force who was posted in the Defence Attaché’s office. The JWO has since left service as he was denied an extension by the Air Force.

Sources say the official was charged with the attempt to molest after the parents of the child lodged a complaint with the police. The official was arrested and then handed over to Indian Embassy officials.

While the Air Force official denied the charges, saying that he was just displaying affection to the child, he was expelled from the country on the insistence of the Israeli authorities.

After he returned to India, his plea for an extension of service was also turned down by the Air Force due to the ‘blemish’ in his career record. IAF officials say the charges of attempt to molest were not proven and no penal action was taken against the JWO. While IAF has refused to comment on the issue, Israeli officials have confirmed that the incident took place last year.

This is the first time that an official from the IAF has been charged with attempting to abuse a child during a foreign posting. In the past, soldiers from the Indian Army posted at a peacekeeping mission in Congo have been investigated and found guilty for child abuse by the United Nations.