New Delhi, March 14
In an embarrassment to the Army, its five personnel, including a Brigadier, have been chargesheeted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police for allegedly replacing kerosene and diesel in tankers meant for troops in Siachen with water.
The charge sheet, filed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Leh, earlier this week, has named Brig Sukhbir Singh, the then Deputy Director Supply and Transport, Lieut-Col D.K. Chaturvedi, the then Officer-in-Command of 406 Army Supply Corps, Capt Parveen Rawat (406 ASC), subedar majors Sunder Singh and R.K. Nigam.
The charge sheet has once again put the Leh-based 14 Corps in an awkward situation as it is facing heat on the issue of alleged pilferage of clothing and special rations meant for troops posted in Siachen. Recently, a Court of Inquiry was initiated against an officer of Major-Gen rank from the same command for alleged sexual harassment.
Others chargesheeted include terminal manager of Indian Oil Corporation (Ambala) Sunil Kumar, owner of a petrol pump in Zakhaira (Punjab) Bimal Gulati, alleged conduit Baljeet Singh, alias Bittu, and eight drivers, sources in the state Home Department said. According to the charge sheet, Army officials allegedly in connivance with the IOC officials were replacing kerosene oil and diesel from the tankers with water, which upon its arrival in Leh, was unloaded in barren mountains.
Taking cognisance of the charge sheet, the court asked all the accused to be present on April 4.
The seven tankers seized by the police on the intervening night of July 16 and 17, 2005, carried 9,000 litres of fuel, and the cost of per litre diesel was Rs 29.75 at that time.
Jawans deployed in Leh, Kargil and Siachen are dependent on the IOC for bulk of oil supplies. The supplies of petrol, diesel and kerosene are made in the IOC tankers, which reach Leh from depots at Ambala, along two routes, one through Himachal Pradesh and the other through the Kashmir valley.
Surprisingly, the probe in the oil pilferage scam again saw no cooperation from the Army authorities despite several summons issued against the Brigadier and the Lieut-Col.
The sources said the police had enough documentary evidence to suggest the involvement of the accused Army officials, besides the confessional statement recorded before a magistrate of some of the drivers.
According to the charge sheet, the terminal manager of the IOC used to send oil tankers for Leh filled with oil. Before dispatching them, the manager had to seal the tankers, but instead he chose to handover the key of the seal to the drivers who used to unload Kerosene oil and diesel at the petrol station of Gulati and later filled them with water.
Baljit Singh is alleged to have been acting as the conduit between the Army and the IOC officials. Driver Dhara Singh has also been declared a proclaimed offender by the court.
The charge sheet has been filed under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 411 (receiving stolen property) and 420 (cheating). The sources said the pilferage of the oil had been going on for long, as alleged by the drivers of the fuel tankers.
The Army had even approached the Jammu and Kashmir High Court for quashing of the FIR, which was, however, turned down by the court saying police action needed to be done.
— PTI
