Navy officer sends lewd texts, fired

The Indian Navy has dismissed a commander who was found guilty of sending lewd texts to women, three days after defence minister AK Antony ordered the dismissal of another officer who entered into an illicit relationship with the wife of a superior. HT reports.

The Indian Navy has dismissed a commander (equivalent to the rank of a lieutenant colonel) who was found guilty of sending lewd texts to women, three days after defence minister AK Antony ordered the dismissal of another officer who entered into an illicit relationship with the wife of a superior.

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Identifying the officer guilty of sending vulgar messages as Commander RV Desai, a navy official on Monday said the force would never tolerate any kind of misbehaviour with women and dish out harshest punishment.

A military court, set up in January 2013, found that Desai’s conduct was unbecoming of an officer.

The two latest dismissals come on the heels of a lieutenant’s wife making damning accusations of wife-swapping in the navy. The Kochi police are probing the charges made by the woman.

The navy said the woman, an alumnus of IIT Bombay, had leveled baseless allegations against senior officers and their wives, who tried to resolve the couple’s problems.

Antony had on Friday ordered the dismissal of a lieutenant commander (major-rank equivalent) after he was found guilty of ‘stealing the affection of a brother officer’s wife,’ an offence punishable in the armed forces.