Lieutenant Colonel Receives 2-Year Sentence and Dismissal for Fraudulent Activities and Misconduct
A General Court Martial (GCM) convened in Fatehgarh, Uttar Pradesh, has handed down a sentence of two years of rigorous imprisonment to a Lieutenant Colonel from the Army Service Corps (ASC) for a series of offenses. In addition to the prison term, the officer faces a dishonourable discharge from the Indian Army. The court found him guilty of engaging in fraudulent financial activities and maintaining an inappropriate relationship with a woman.
The officer, who was affiliated with the Rajput Regimental Centre (RRC) in Fatehgarh, was tried on multiple charges as per the Army Act. A senior officer presided over the GCM proceedings, which resulted in the officer being found guilty on four separate charges. Three of these charges were under Section 52(f) of the Army Act, dealing with fraudulent transactions, while the remaining charge was under Section 45, concerning conduct unbecoming of an officer.
The allegations against the officer were based on incidents that occurred over several years. During his assignment with an ASC Battalion in Hisar from 2013 to 2014, he improperly used railway concession vouchers issued in 2013 to book tickets for travel between Lucknow and New Delhi in 2020. These vouchers were originally intended for journeys between Hisar and Lucknow. Although the officer claimed there was a conspiracy against him, the court found the vouchers, bearing his signature and unit stamp, had indeed been misused.
The court also determined that the officer fraudulently claimed an inflated house rent allowance (HRA) by representing Delhi as his family's residence, a Class ‘X’ city, while his wife and daughter lived in Lucknow, a Class ‘Y’ city. This misrepresentation led to improperly increased financial benefits.
The officer's defense, citing that his dependent mother resided in Delhi and that the family visited there frequently, was dismissed. His wife, a former Air Force officer, testified that their visits to Delhi were brief and infrequent.
One of the gravest charges under Section 45 involved an illicit relationship with a woman residing in his official accommodation intended for single officers. The case was initiated following a complaint from his wife, who discovered the woman's presence there. Neighbors, domestic staff, and other witnesses corroborated the nature of the relationship, indicating that the officer and the woman behaved as a couple.
Additional evidence revealed that the officer had transferred a gas connection to the woman’s name at his official address and issued a dependent card with her photograph instead of his wife’s, although the card incorrectly listed his rank.
Medical records from an Air Force Hospital and other documentation further supported the prosecution's case. The officer contended the woman was a friend who visited often, but the court dismissed this assertion based on the gathered evidence.
The court's verdict, involving two years of rigorous imprisonment and a cashiering from service, awaits confirmation by the convening authority of the court martial before taking effect.
As reported by The Indian Express, the case highlights the Indian Army’s stringent disciplinary standards and its zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct and corruption within its ranks.
