Woman Army Officer court martialled

CHANDIGARH - Woman Army Officer Major Dimple Singhla has been court martialled after being found guilty of corruption charges.

Major Singhla has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment for the charges inflicted on her.

She is the first woman officer in the Indian Army to be court martialled.

Earlier on February 8, allowing a petition filed by Major Dimple Singhla challenging the orders of General Court Martial (GCM), the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the GCM to pass fresh speaking orders on the jurisdiction issue.

In her petition taken up by a Division Bench of the High Court, Major Singhla of the Army’s Judge Advocate-General Branch had earlier contended that the GCM had passed the impugned order without assigning any reason whatsoever.

Seeking the quashing of the order, Major Singhla had contended that the plea raised by her was rejected even without permitting her to lead evidence in support of her contention regarding lack of jurisdiction.

Major Singhla in her petition through counsel Sanjiv Bansal against the Union of India, the Chief of the Army Staff and other respondents had contended that she was commissioned in the Army’s JAG branch on March 8, 1997.

On August 3, 2005, a news item appeared in which it was alleged that the petitioner’s husband used to influence the court martial proceedings in which she was deputed tO JAG. On August 5, same year, court of inquiry was convened. (ANI)