New Delhi:
One of the Army's senior-most generals will face a court martial for his alleged role in a land scam that runs into hundreds of crores.
The Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor has confirmed that Lieutenant General Avadesh Prakash will be court martialled. Prakash is the Military Secretary and among eight principal staff officers to the Army chief, General Deepak Kapoor.
(Read: What is court martial?)The Chief had earlier refused to sack Prakash, despite the recommendation of an internal army inquiry. Instead, Kapoor gave Prakash 15 days to formally explain his role in the case.
Earlier this week, Defence Minister AK Antony advised the Army to order a court martial. That was seen as the government's way of expressing its dissatisfaction with what was seen as the Army Chief's inaction against Prakash. Sources say the government and former army chiefs were worried that the scam, and the lack of disciplinary action against Prakash, suggested that senior officers were being protected by the army.
Evidence will now be recorded against Prakash, who will later be cross-questioned as part of the court martial.
Lieutenant General Avadesh Prakash was indicted by an army inquiry of using his position to help a businessman in Siliguri in West Bengal.
The internal investigation found that Prakash influenced officers to permit a real estate developer to acquire 71 acres next to the Army's 33 Corps Headquarters in Siliguri in West Bengal. The Army, which had earlier told the government that this land could not be sold to any commercial developer for security reasons, okayed the transfer of the land to Agarwal.
The Army's inquiry said Prakash should be sacked for he "became a facilitator in promoting (his friend) Dilip Agarwal's business."