Generals in soup over land scam

It is not often that names of army generals crop up in media, unless they happen to get gallantry awards. But in a shocking disclosure, some top army officers are facing serious action over their role in facilitating a dubious land deal near an army base in Sukhna, West Bengal.

A top army general is likely to face a general court martial while three others are being served show-cause notices. Army chief General Deepak Kapoor has reportedly ordered disciplinary action against Lieutenant General PK Rath — formerly 33 Division Commander. He now faces punishment that could include court martial and jail.

Defence minister A K Antony has confirmed Army chief Deepak Kapoor will take "some disciplinary and administrative action" against the four Generals involved in a land scam in Darjeeling. The ministry had received a report from the Army Chief in this regard on Jan 12 night and, therefore, it was "too early" for him to comment on the action to be taken against the generals, he told reporters on Jan 13. "The Defence Ministry received a report from the Army chief that he is going to launch some disciplinary and administrative proceedings against some of his colleagues, who are involved in this inquiry. At this stage, it is too early on my part to comment on this," Antony said.

The Army chief has also issued show cause notices to Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash, 11 Corps Commander Ramesh Halgali and Major General P Sen to take administrative action. Lt Gen Prakash, however, seemed to have got off lightest, given his key role in the land scam, army sources said. Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General VK Singh had recommended his immediate dismissal. Prakash retires on January 31. He can still be dismissed but he has been saved the ignominy of a court martial.

The scam involved helping a Siliguri-based businessman Dilip Agarwal acquire 70 acres of land on the fringes of Sukna, near Siliguri in Northern West Bengal. The army probe found that Agarwal had floated an educational society - for which ostensibly he had acquired the land - falsely claiming that it was affiliated the renowned Ajmer-based boarding school, Mayo College. In fact it had nothing to do with Mayo College. Land transfer near sensitive installations require clearance from the military.

General Rath was commanding Sukna-based Headquarters 33 Corps when a no-objection certificate was given by reversing a previous decision, allegedly at the behest of Prakash. Rath was to take over as a deputy chief in Army headquarters on November 1 but the defence ministry scrapped his appointment after his name cropped up in the land scam.

- Asian Tribune -