New Delhi: Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash will face court martial proceedings in the Sukna land scam following intervention of Defence Minister A K Antony who overturned Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor’s decision on administrative action against the top officer. The court martial of Prakash was today ordered by Kapoor, making him the senior-most three-star general in the Army to ever face such action. The Army Chief’s decision has come two days after the Defence Minister advised a court martial of the military secretary on the issue. Prakash is due to retire Jan 31. Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash will face court martial proceedings in the Sukna land scam following intervention of Defence Minister A K Antony who overturned Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor’s decision on administrative action against the top officer.
The court martial of Prakash was today ordered by Kapoor, making him the senior-most three-star general in the Army to ever face such action.
The Army Chief’s decision comes two days ahead of Prakash’s retirement from military service on January 31.
“The Army Chief has ordered disciplinary action against Lt Gen Prakash, who will face a court martial in Sukna land scam. The Chief has stuck to the advice from Antony in the case,” Defence Ministry sources said here.
Prakash, who is considered close to Kapoor on account of being one of his eight aides, was found culpable in the Sukna land scam along with the then 33 Corps Commander Lt Gen P K Rath, his Chief of Staff Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali and the then Brigadier Administration Maj Gen P C Sen.
After the Court of Inquiry indicted all the General-officers in the case, Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen V K Singh, who is the Army Chief-designate, had recommended “termination of service” of Prakash and administrative action against the other officers.
However, Kapoor chose to order court martial of Rath and issued show-cause notice to others for administrative action, prompting Antony to ask why the officers, found culpable by the probe for the same offense under Army Act, were meted out different punishments and “advised” disciplinary action against Prakash too.
SUKHNA LAND SCAM- COURT MARTIAL OF LT GEN
ReplyDelete1. A serving Lt Gen for the first time in history was tried by a General Court Martial for his unbecoming conduct in the Sukha Land Scam.
2. Lt Gen PK Rath, Ex GOC 33 Corps was indicted along with Lt Gen Avdesh Prakash, Ex Military Secretary by a Court of Inquiry earlier.
3. Lt Gen PK Rath has since been tried by the General Court Martial at Shillong, and was convicted on three charges. The guilty and prime accused has been correctly convicted.
4. The Indian Army has a structured mechanism to deal with impropriety, corruption and wrong doing in the organization. This General Court Martial is a true epitome of military justice executed in a short periodof one year time.
5. In the Sukhna Land Case, Lt Gen Rath who was Corps Commander had wrongly issued NOC and MOU to the real estate builder without informing his superior Headquarter. As soon as the fraud was detected, the Chief of Staff, Maj Gen Ramesh Halgali reported the matter. He was the whistle blower of this case. This became the episodic turning point of the case. In view of timely and correct reporting by him, a General Court Martial was instituted so that the matter is nibbed in the bud itself.
6. Inspite of grave provocations, Maj Gen Ramesh Halgali demonstrated high character, military values and unflinching loyalty. Officers who stand up against wrong doing are treated fairly with honour and respected. Whistle blowers became a rallying point for thousand of officers who work with morality, honesty and character.
7. The Indian Army continues to maintain the highest standards of discipline and morale. An odd aberration like this, is handled with due alacrity under laid down disciplinary channels. There is a strong drive in the Army to root out corruption through transparency, adherence to military ethics and protection of whistle blowers.