Court martial

vIndianz.com (28 Jan, 2010) — New Delhi: A top military official, Lt Gen Awadesh Prakash, allegedly involved in the Sukna land scam faces court martial with the Defence Minister A. K. Antony asking army chief General Deepak Kapoor to initiate disciplinary action against the officer.

indian-army “The Defence Minister has advised the army chief to initiate disciplinary action against Lt Gen Prakash (Military Secretary in the army),” highly-placed Defence Ministry sources said here on Wednesday

Disciplinary action could lead to a court martial against Lt Gen Prakash, who is in the dock in the scam along with two other Lieutenant Generals and a Major General.

The army chief had earlier ordered administrative action against Gen Prakash wherein the court martial was not a requirement. Prakash was issued a show-cause notice to which he has replied.

Lt Gen Prakash, considered close to the army chief, would be retiring on January 31. Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen V K Singh, the army chief designate, had recommended tough action against Lt Gen Prakash and other accused officials on the basis of a Court of Inquiry which indicted them for issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) for sale of a 71-acre land adjacent to Sukna military station in West Bengal’s Darjeeling.

Sources said that court martial proceedings would continue as the officer would remain under the purview of the Army Act. The court martial will be preceded by a formal recording of evidence that will begin shortly. The Sukna land scandal case was first reported by The Indian Express.

Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor wanted to take only administrative action against Lt Gen Prakash, Military Secretary at Army Headquarters but Antony called for court martial proceedings against Prakash.

This will be the first time in the Army that two Lt Generals will face a court martial — the other officer is former 33 Corps Commander Lt Gen P K Rath. Two other Generals named in the probe, Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali and Maj Gen P C Sen, are set to face administrative action.

Antony’s intervention follows the Army Chief’s decision to go for only administrative action against Prakash who is one of his closest aides. Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen V K Singh, who initiated the court of inquiry, had recommended that Prakash be sacked.

The case involves the grant of NOCs (no objection certificates) for transfer of 71 acres near the 33 Corps headquarters in Sukna, West Bengal. The court of inquiry found that Dilip Agarwal, a land developer, had close links with Prakash.

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