General court martial dismisses Major General for misbehaving with woman officer

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Photo for representational purpose only.

A general court martial (GCM) on Sunday dismissed a Major General who was facing disciplinary proceedings for allegedly misbehaving with a woman officer.

The GCM’s verdict is subject to confirmation by the Chief of Army Staff.

He was charged under Section 69 of the Army Act read with Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code for conduct unbecoming of an officer, sources said.

The officer, who had denied the charges against him, has the right to appeal against the verdict. 

The trial had commenced near Chandigarh in June this year and concluded in the wee hours today.

The officer was posted in the Assam Rifles when the allegations were levelled against him. Later, he was attached to an Army formation in Ambala for disciplinary proceedings.

During proceedings, the Major General had refuted the allegations against him, claiming that he was a victim of a “factional feud” in the Army’s top hierarchy.

A case challenging the disciplinary proceedings was also filed by him before the Delhi Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal.

Though, he was initially attached to the newly raised 17 Corps at Ranchi, which is part of the Eastern Command, for the conduct of disciplinary proceedings, he had represented against it in the interest of fair play.

The matter was, thereafter, transferred to the Western Command.

He was posted as the Inspector General, Assam Rifles, Nagaland, when a Captain from Judge Advocate General’s Branch submitted a written complaint to her superiors, alleging that he had called her to his room late in the evening for official work and misbehaved with her.