While the Navy has said that it has no comment to offer till the inquiry is over, Mahajan, who is currently based in Finland, spoke to The Sunday Express and said that she has submitted proof, including recorded phone conversations with the two officers, as evidence to the board of inquiry.

Mahajan, whose freefall over the South Pole in 2006 gave her an entry into the record books, had trained with the Indian Navy’s Skydiving Team to prepare for the event. However, the skydiver says the two officers took money from her on various pretexts—including a special freefalling course for the duo in USA—without giving her any accounts or bills.

Mahajan, who said she mortgaged her family house and raised funds from private sponsors for the South Pole jump, says that though the Navy agreed to help her train for the event, the two officers asked her to pay for their personal equipment such as special UV protected sun goggles, before the event.

The two officers allegedly used her funds to buy special cameras and lenses worth Rs 2 lakh but never handed over the equipment after the jump, she said. She also alleged that her parents were literally thrown out of the Varuna Naval officers Mess when they asked for an account of the expenses.

The 26-year-old skydiver, who has also written to President Pratibha Patil appealing for help, says that she didn’t lodge a formal complaint against the officers at that time because she didn’t want to “spoil the image of the Navy” but is now taking action after the Navy told her that the two officers are being investigated for fraud.

... contd.