Action initiated against serving Generals in land scam

The Army on Tuesday initiated disciplinary action against a senior General that could lead to a court martial, while administrative action was started against three other top officers for their role in a land scam in Darjeeling.

The Army on Tuesday initiated disciplinary action against a senior General that could lead to a court martial, while administrative action was started against three other top officers for their role in a land scam in Darjeeling.

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Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor had directed Adjutant General Mukesh Sabharwal yesterday to issue notices for taking action against Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash, Lt Gen P K Rath, Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali and Major General P Sen after a probe had reportedly held them culpable in the land scam.

Senior Army officers said here that disciplinary action was initiated against Lt Gen Rath, who had a major role to play in the issuance of a No Objection Certificate to a private realtor for buying a 70-acre plot adjacent to the Sukna military station near Darjeeling.

Kapoor had yesterday directed Army Adjutant General Lt Gen Mukesh Sabharwal to initiate the action against the four Generals and accordingly show-cause notices were issued to them seeking a reply within 30 days, they said.

Army's Eastern Command chief Lt Gen V K Singh would proceed against Lt Gen Rath, who had also signed a memorandum of understanding with the private realtor for allotment of seats to Army personnel's wards in the school that would be built on the land.

Rath, whose appointment as Deputy Army Chief was scrapped last year after a probe was ordered into the land scam, is currently attached to the Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata.