Army chief orders aide's court martial in land scam case
Following Union defence minister A K Antony's virtual diktat, Army chief General Deepak Kapoor on January 29 did an embarrassing volte face and finally ordered court-martial proceedings against his close aide and military secretary Lt-Gen Avadhesh Prakash, the seniormost of the four generals indicted in the alleged Sukna land scam case.
The minister’s directive couched as an `advisory' has not only ensured that Lt-Gen Prakash would now have to face the much-harsher `disciplinary action' in place of the earlier `administrative action', but also come as a clear snub to Gen Kapoor. Antony's intervention, of course, followed a growing perception both in and out of the armed forces, that the Army chief was being `soft' on Lt-Gen Prakash.
However, some officers felt that regardless of the merit of the case, Antony's `direct interference' in the time-tested judicial system of the armed forces `was unprecedented' and did not augur well for the future.
The quick U-turn by Gen Kapoor may also raise questions about the quality of leadership of the military brass. "The Service chiefs of yesteryears, who would have quit rather than submit, are no longer there,'' said a senior officer.
It is also noteworthy that Gen Kapoor's directive for initiation of `disciplinary action' against Lt-Gen Prakash came on the latter's last day in uniform, retiring as he does on January 31. The new military secretary, Lt-Gen G M Nair, is slated to formally take over on February 1.
Lt-Gen Prakash will be the seniormost three-star general ever to face a court martial in the 1.13-million strong Army. The court martial against him can continue even after his superannuation unless he gets a stay from the armed forces' administrative tribunal or a high court.
A court martial can sentence a person, depending on the seriousness of the charges proven in corruption cases, to even imprisonment and the ignominious "cashiering from service'', which entails loss of rank, decorations and all retirement benefits.
Another indicted officer, Lt-Gen P K Rath, will also be court-martialled, while Lt-Gen Ramesh Halgali and Maj-Gen P C Sen will face `administrative action', which can range from merely a recordable or non-recordable censure to dismissal from service.
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