Armed Forces Tribunal stays GCM of Capt in demonetisation scam

Chandigarh, July 13

The Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has stayed a General Court Martial (GCM) of a Captain in the demonetisation scam.

The case is related to the exchange of old notes worth Rs 6 lakh with legal tender, under 1 Central Base Post Office (CBPO) (Delhi), in 2016.

Exchange made on ‘no transaction day’

• The case is related to the exchange of old notes worth Rs 6 lakh with legal tender, under 1 Central Base Post Office (CBPO) (Delhi), in 2016
• The alleged exchange was carried out on November 9, 2016, a day after PM Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.
• The exchange was made on a ‘no transaction day’

The alleged exchange was carried out on November 9, 2016, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

The exchange was made on a ‘no transaction day’. Captain Gagan Bawa was then Base Post Master at 1 CBPO.

He approached the Tribunal stating the GCM is barred by limitation.

His counsel Rajesh Sehgal pleaded before the Tribunal for issuing a direction declaring the complete court martial proceedings, including chargesheet, convening order, as illegal being time-barred and contrary to the well-settled law, and being illegal and contrary to the Army Act, Rules and Regulations and unconstitutional.

The Tribunal stayed the GCM on July 5.

Capt Bawa is accused of abetting the exchange of notes; not informing about the old series of notes at the close of business on November 8, 2016, to higher authorities; for not issuing instructions for making entries in the Treasury Cash Book and Head Office Cash Summary of old series notes exchanged; and for improperly checking the correctness of consolidated daily report of withdrawn old series exchanged notes to higher authorities between November 10 to November 24, 2016.

Earlier, a GCM at Western Command, Chandimandir (Panchkula), had awarded forfeiture of two years of service to Lt Colonel Sudhir Kumar Singh, then officiating Commandant of 1 CBPO, in the same case.

Brigadier Suresh Gupta, then nodal officer of Army Postal Service (APS) Base Circle, monitoring cell in Additional Director General APS Directorate, received severe reprimand in a separate GCM at K-Area in Zirakpur.

The trial against the other accused, Colonel Subhash Chandra, then Commandant 1 CBPO, at K-Area in Zirakpur, and that of Captain Gagan Bawa and Warrant Officer G Rajendran, at Chandimandir, is pending in the same matter.