Molestation charge untrue, says army officer’s wife (With Army probing molestation charge against lieutenant general)

NEW DELHI - The wife of an Indian Army lieutenant general accused of molestation has described the charge as “not true” and says her husband “is a highly disciplined officer with a high moral character”.

“I would like to clarify that all this is not true. I vouch 100 percent for the character of my husband,” Neerja Nanda told reporters after reports began circulating that a molestation charge had been made against her husband, Lt. Gen. A.K. Nanda, the army’s engineer-in-chief.

“He is a highly disciplined officer with a high moral character. No such incident ever happened. I would rather say that the army conduct its inquiry and the truth will prevail,” Neerja Nanda said.

She also pointed out that she had accompanied her husband to Israel May 7-10 when the incident is alleged to have happened.

The Indian Army is probing the molestation charge, a senior officer said Thursday, adding that certain “loopholes” had been found in it but strict action would be taken against Nanda if this was found to be true.

The complaint had been filed by the wife of the Nanda’s technical secretary, the officer said.

“The (Indian Army) chief won’t tolerate such behaviour and if it is found to be true, action will be taken,” the officer told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Nanda has not put in his papers and continues to the engineer-in-chief “as of now”, he said.

Nanda, who has about a year of service left, has also served as the director general of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

The complaint had been lodged with Bharti Singh, the wife of Indian Army chief Gen. V.K. Singh, who had passed it on to her husband. Bharti Singh heads the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA).

The technical secretary is now posted in Bhopal.