Visit Indian Travel Sites
Goa,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Sikkim,
Madhya Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir
Karnataka
|
Sukna Scam: Army Chief ratifies ex-general’s dismissal | Chief of Army Staff General V.K. Singh has ratified a decision to dismiss former military secretary
Lt. Gen. Avadesh Prakash from service after he was found guilty by an army court
for his role in the Sukna land scam case. The dismissal means that Lt. Gen. Prakash
will not get any benefits like pension and will not be entitled to use Army rank
or any privilege attached with military service. Prakash is the senior-most officer
to have been awarded this punishment by the army. The General Court Martial (GCM)
had announced its decision to dismiss Lt. Gen. (retired) Prakash in December last
year. General Singh ratified the decision on May 21, ten days before his retirement
from service. Commenting on the development, Lt. Gen. (retired) Prakash said,
"I am considering various options available under the service rules and legal
remedies to protest against the decision taken by the Army Chief." In recent interviews,
Gen. Singh had also blamed Lt. Gen. (retired) Prakash for raking up the age issue
by filing Right To Information petitions. Prakash was held guilty of misusing
his position under Section 45 (conduct unbecoming of his position as an officer)
and Section 52 (intent to defraud) of the Army Act by the General Court Martial
at 51 sub-area of the Army station at Narengi in Guwahati. The court martial was
conducted after an Army court of inquiry indicted Lt. Gen. Prakash in 2010 for
his role in the illegal transfer of 71 acres of land adjacent to the Sukna military
station near Siliguri in West Bengal to a private realtor for constructing an
educational institution in 2008. He is the third Lt Gen rank officer to have been
punished in a corruption-related case. Lt Gen S.K. Sahni was cashiered from service
for his role in the ration scam and Lt Gen P.K. Rath was given a punishment in
the Sukna case earlier. While Prakash and Sahni were punished after their retirement,
Rath was serving when he was indicted. The officer has now retired. The Sukna
land scam dates back to 2008 when the alleged move to transfer the land in Siliguri
to a private educational trust came out in the open, leading the army to initiate
disciplinary proceedings against senior Army officials, including Lt. Gen. Prakash
and Lt. Gen. Rath.
|
|
|
|
|
|