New Delhi:
The Supreme Court today berated the army for not taking tough action against its officers involved in illegally selling weapons seven years ago and asked: "What if the ammunition falls into the hands of terrorists?"
The court had asked the army to set up an inquiry into allegations that 73 officers were involved in selling arms and ammunition illegally to dealers in Rajasthan's border districts. After an investigation, the army court-martialed 30 officers and the punishment varied from loss of promotion to "severe" reprimand.
"You are supposed to be a disciplined force. But you indulge in sale of weapons. That too high-ranking officials. And the punishment is just severe displeasure and fine of 500 rupees. It shocks our conscience," the court said in sharp words. "Why don't you redo the enquiry? This might be just tip of iceberg," the judges added.
The court said given the gravity of the offence, the punishment was "nothing but eyewash". The case needs a CBI probe more than court martial, it asserted, asking the army whether it wanted to set aside the punishment and "redo court martial" or enlarge the scope of inquiry.
"Senior officers like Lieutenant Colonel, Brigadier, Major are involved but the punishment is just severe displeasure?" the court questioned.
A petition filed by lawyer Arvind Kumar Sharma highlighted inaction in the arms racket allegedly involving officers who bought weapons from the army and sold them to dealers and private individuals.