Media has reported that Lt Gen VK Singh, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, based on the findings of a Court of Inquiry, has recommended the dismissal of Lt Gen Avdesh Prakash, Military Secretary, one of the seven Principal Staff Officers (PSO) at Army Headquarters, from service for his role in the alleged "bending of rules to favour a private company near Siliguri"
According to the Indian Express, the C of I had also recommended the court martial of another senior general - Lt Gen PK Rath, whose appointment as Deputy Chief of Army Staff was earlier cancelled by the Ministry of Defence. The newspaper further said: "The inquiry found that Gen Prakash was in constant touch with a Siliguri real estate developer, Dilip Agarwal, who brokered a controversial land deal in Darjeeling. Through phone records, the inquiry established, that Agarwal, who inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to obtain no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the Army to purchase nearly 70 acres near the 33 Corps HQ in Sukna, was in constant touch with Gen Prakash while the deal was being sealed. The NOCs were given after an institution claimed it was an affiliate of the Mayo College in Ajmer and would establish a branch in Sukna. Mayo College denied it had any affiliate." Gen Rath, as the then GOC 33 Corps, had issued the NOCs.
The army commander has recommended similar action against Lt Gen P Sen. Lastly, administrative action has been suggested against a fourth officer, Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali, GOC 11 Corps for “administrative lapses.”
Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor will now be required to act on the Eastern Army Commander's recommendations. Usually such recommendations are overruled only if there are sound legal grounds.
It seems corruption, usually considered as a malady of politicians and bureaucrats, is now reaching the top echelons of the armed forces. Is it a case of do as the Romans do? I hope not.
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