Army chief will take action in Sukhna scam: Antony

NEW DELHI - Refusing to comment on the involvement of top army officials in a land scam in Sukhna cantonment in West Bengal, defence minister A.K. Antony said Wednesday that Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor would take necessary action.

The defence ministry received reports from the army chief on the issue. He will launch some administrative and disciplinary action against his colleagues who are involved in this inquiry. At this stage it is too early on my part to comment, Antony told reporters here.

Kapoor had submitted his action-taken report to the defence ministry Monday.

While the army chief has suggested court martial for one of the officers Lt. Gen. P.K. Rath, Kapoor has only sought an explanation from his own close aide Lt. Gen. Awadesh Prakash, who is due to retire on Jan 31.

The army’s court of inquiry submitted its report in the scam last December.

The army court has indicted the two officers for their role in issuing a no-objection certificate to a private establishment that falsely claimed to be establishing an affiliate of the well-known Ajmer-based Mayo College on a plot adjacent to the Sukhna military station in Darjeeling district.

Prakash is one of the eight Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at Army HQ who act as advisers to the army chief. As Military Secretary, he is responsible for the promotions and postings of officers.

Rath was commander of the Sukhna-based 33 Corps when the alleged land scam took place.