M A I N   N E W S

9 charges drafted against another Lt Gen
Vijay Mohan/TNS

The Sukna Scam Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash’s GCM may begin next month. Lt Gen Prakash is the senior-most Army officer to face court martial proceedings. The Army has already tried and convicted two other lieutenant generals, who were junior in status to Pakash, for professional and personal impropriety recently. Lt Gen PK Rath, former GOC 33 Corps, was also embroiled in the Sukna case. In January, a GCM had held him guilty of three out of seven charges

Chandigarh, April 12
The Army has drafted nine charges on which Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash, former Military Secretary at the Army Headquarters, is expected to be tried by a General Court Martial in the Sukna land scam.

Sources said following the review assessment of trial by Headquarters, Eastern Command, subsequent to recording of summary of evidence, administrative orders for the conduct of the trial were issued a few days ago.

These, along with the draft charges, have been sent to the Army Headquarters for final approval before the GCM’s convening orders, detailing the members of the court and addressing other pertinent issues, are issued. Sources do not rule out the possibility of any changes in the draft charges. If go-ahead is received from the Army Headquarters, sources expect the trial to commence in May.

The charges levelled against Lt Gen Prakash are under Sections 52, 57 and 63 of the Army Act for offences related to property and intent to defraud, making inaccurate or fraudulent statements in official documents and violation of good order and military discipline.

Lt Gen Prakash is the senior-most Army officer to face court martial proceedings. The Army has already tried and convicted two other lieutenant generals, who were junior in status to Pakash, for professional and personal impropriety recently. This includes Lt Gen PK Rath, former GOC 33 Corps, who was also embroiled in the Sukna case. In January, a GCM had held him guilty of three out of seven charges and had awarded him a severe reprimand and a two-year loss of seniority and 15 years’ loss of service for the purpose of pension. The sentence is still awaiting confirmation by the Chief of the Army Staff.

More recently, a GCM held at Jalandhar had sentenced former Director General Supplies and Transport at the Army Headquarters to cashiering and three-year rigorous imprisonment for irregularities in procurement of dry rations.

The Sukna issue blew up in 2008 and Prakash and Rath were among several senior Army officers who allegedly influenced the decision to issue a no-objection certificate to a private builder to construct an educational institution on a 70-acre land adjacent to the Sukna military station in West Bengal. The NoC was issued in violation of norms.

A court of inquiry ordered into the issue by the Army had held Prakash, Rath, Lt Gen RK Halgali, Maj Gen PK Sen among others as blameworthy for their acts of omission and commission.