M A I N   N E W S

Colonel to lose 5-yr service for slackness
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Serivice

Chandigarh, October 10
A general court martial (GCM) has acquitted a colonel of 16 charges of professional impropriety in a case pertaining to misappropriation of milk powder worth crores, but has held him guilty on one charge of failing to carry out technical inspection of military farms under his control.

Colonel AS Rathore, Director Military Farms, Central Command, has been awarded a severe reprimand and five-year loss of service for the purpose of fixing pension. The GCM, presided by Brig Sanjeev Kanal, commander of an artillery brigade, was held at Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir. The GCM’s verdict is subject to confirmation by the convening authority.

The 17 charges levelled against the officer pertain to the period from July 2001 to December 2004, when he was posted as the Director, Military Farms, Northern Command, during the Operation Parakram.

It was alleged that skimmed milk powder worth crores was purchased by the then lieutenant colonel in charge of the Military Farm, Jammu, in violation of the orders and policy on the subject.

Col Rathore, as his superior officer, had allegedly allowed him to do so with the intent to cause wrongful gain to the suppliers for which 12 charges were levelled. Five charges were made out for various acts of omission and commission.

Defence counsel Colonel SK Aggarwal (retd) had raised objections to the jurisdiction of the GCM on the grounds that statutory provisions of the Army rule 22 had not been complied with and also the trial had become time barred, but the objections were overruled.