‘Strict action’ unlikely in Sukhna scam

The army on Wednesday admitted receiving the report of a probe committee into the alleged land scam at Sukhna cantonment in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district. It, however, remained tightlipped on its recommendations.

The army on Wednesday admitted receiving the report of a probe committee into the alleged land scam at Sukhna cantonment in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district. It, however, remained tightlipped on its recommendations.

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“The Court of Inquiry (CoI) has been completed and received by the army headquarters today. The proceedings of the inquiry will be analysed ... in accordance with the military law,” the army said in a statement.

Sources said the CoI by the Eastern Command has recommended the removal of Lieutenant General Avadesh Prakash, military secretary at the army headquarters.

It also sought court-martial proceedings against Lt Gen P.K. Rath (whose appointment as deputy chief of army staff has been
scrapped by the defence ministry), 11 Corps Commander Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali and Major General P. Sen (under whose tenure as Brigadier at the Sukhna-based 33 Corps the alleged scam took place.

Rath was then the commander of 33 Corps.

The sources said it was “unlikely that any strict action” would be taken against Prakash who is one of the eight principal staff officers to army chief General Deepak Kapoor.

However, the army promised action. “The army is amongst the few organisations which is very sensitive to any irregularities and have pro-actively sought immediate action against those indulging in any wrongs,” the statement said.

The CoI was constituted to look into allegations of subverting rules to give a no-objection certificate to a private
educational institution that falsely claimed to be establishing an affiliate of the Ajmer-based Mayo College on a 70-acre tea estate close to the Sukhna military base near Darjeeling.

While the defence ministry has sought a full report, the final decision will be taken by the army chief.