Antony steps in, tainted general may be sacked

Defence Minister AK Antony has advised army chief Deepak Kapoor to take strong disciplinary action — which may include a court martial — against Military Secretary Lieutenant General Avadhesh Prakash, implicated in a land scam in Sukna in north Bengal, ministry sources said. Rahul Singh reports.

Defence Minister AK Antony has advised army chief Deepak Kapoor to take strong disciplinary action — which may include a court martial — against Military Secretary Lieutenant General Avadhesh Prakash, implicated in a land scam in Sukna in north Bengal, ministry sources said.

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If the advice is followed, Lt Gen Prakash will be the highest-ranking officer ever to be sacked and possibly jailed for criminal activity.

Antony’s advice comes four days before Prakash retires on January 31. But action can still be pursued since retired officers are governed by the Army Act for three years.

The ministry’s move virtually overrules the army chief’s decision to take only administrative action against Prakash, possibly a mere warning.

Sources said Antony wanted the Army to hand out exemplary punishment to those found guilty in the case, where army men, led by Prakash, allegedly conspired to help a local businessman acquire land close to an army base near Siliguri bypassing norms.

Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General VK Singh, who takes over as the next chief when Kapoor retires on March 31, had recommended that Prakash be sacked.

Yet Kapoor only served a show-cause notice on Prakash for administrative action. He ordered harsher disciplinary action against Lt Gen P.K. Rath who was found to have only acted on Prakash’s orders. The ministry has also asked why there is disparity in the action taken against the two.

“The Army chief will find himself pushed against the wall,” said a top army officer. “While officially he has the last word in such matters, he would find it hard to ignore the ministry’s advisory.”