Army hands over Lt Col’s case to ATS
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 6
The Indian defence authorities today handed over the jurisdiction of the case of the serving Lt Col Srikant Purohit to the Mumbai anti-terrorist squad (ATS) even as it is unlikely that any immediate move will be launched to dismiss him from service.

The handing over the jurisdiction was formality that had to be completed before the police could start its on own course.

Separately, reports are filtering in that the ATS may seek permission to question more serving officers who could have been in contact with Lt Col Purohit. The Army has denied the same saying no formal request has been made so far to question anybody else.

This is the first incident of a serving army officer to have been found to have links with anti-national forces and has come as shock to the Armed forces that take pride in itself. Today deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen S.S. Dhillon termed it as a ‘freak case’. We are alert but it is one-off case.

The Ministry of Defence has already confirmed that the ATS and followed all procedures required under the provisions of law before the arrest of the Lt Col. This laid to rest any confusion if the colonel was arrested in accordance with procedures of the law, or the permission of the MoD was sought.