Who will spring to Army’s defense this time?

Sunday, 08 July 2012 23:59

Rahul Datta | New Delhi

 The stain of corruption is fast eroding the reputation of the Armed Forces. In the last one year alone, several senior officers have been embroiled in a slew of corruption cases that have hogged media limelight. The situation is so grim that as many as six officials have either been arrested by the CBI or faced court of inquiry during the last two months.

 

 Even the nursery of Armed Forces, the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune, has not remained untouched by this all-pervasive decline in the Armed Forces. Recently, the CBI arrested two Colonels posted at NDA for allegedly accepting money from aspirants for ensuring jobs of cooks

and gardeners.

Colonel Kulbir Singh, who was arrested by the CBI in this job scam, was the Commandant’s staff officer. CBI raids at the officers and tours yielded Rs 1.85 crore.  The Government was also forced to remove NDA Commandant Lt General Jatinder Singh last week to ensure free and fair probe by the CBI in the scandal.
The alleged involvement of officers of the rank of Major Generals and Brigadiers in corruption in recent cases of ration supply to troops in Kashmir and canteen stores in Mumbai has alarmed the higher echelons of the Defence Ministry and military bureaucracy.
Army Chief General Bikram Singh last weekend assured that “nothing will be brushed under the carpet” with regard to corruption cases but insisted that the Army will scrupulously follow the rulebook to take action against officers found guilty.
While the Adarsh Society scandal hogged limelight, this  year started with the sensational claim by the then army chief VK Singh about the bribe offer made to him in his office by former Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) chief Lt General Tejinder Singh regarding the Tatra trucks. Tejinder has filed a defamation case against VK Singh for levelling allegations that he offered bribe to the Army Chief.
Defence Minister AK Antony was grilled in Parliament about the issue as VK Singh had informed him about the bribe offer and the Minister did not take action. Antony informed Parliament that VK Singh did not pursue the matter and did not give anything in writing and therefore, Antony was not able to proceed. The CBI is now investigating the case.
While this issue had barely died down, VK Singh issued a showcause notice to 3 Corps Commander Lt General Dalbir Suhag about a case in Assam where troops under Suhag’s command allegedly looted a military contractor.
Suhag, who is likely to become Army Chief after Bikram retires, was also issued a discipline and vigilance (DV) ban in late May when he was about to take over as the new Eastern Command chief.
This case also pertained to the so-called laxity by senior officers like Suhag and two Colonel rank officers in ensuring discipline and preventing troops from harassing civilians and extorting money while operating in sensitive areas like Assam. However, the DV ban against Suhag was removed after Bikram took over as the Army Chief on June 1. Suhag is now heading the Eastern Command.
While Bikram was taking stock of state of affairs in the Army, a Major General of the Northern Command came under the scanner in late June for allegedly accepting a bribe from a contractor.
In charge of all Army supplies including rations to troops fighting militants and guarding the Line of Control (LOC) besides manning Siachen Glacier, Major General VK Sharma, Army Supply Corps (ASC), was caught red-handed and a court of inquiry was ordered into allegations of financial impropriety.
The quality of food supplied to soldiers in the Northern Command had also come under the scanner in 2010 after an audit report revealed that troops were getting food that was unfit for human consumption, and past its expiration date.
While the report had examined food samples from across the country, most cases of violation of norms and unfit food pertained to the Northern Command. The CAG hinted at a large-scale rigging of prices by pointing out that 36 per cent of cases of procurement of fresh rations were based only on single quotations, taking away any scope of competitiveness.
July saw the CBI arresting a serving Brigadier on July 3 in Mumbai in an alleged graft case. The officer, Anuj Kainthla, joint general manager of Canteen Stores Department (CSD), was nabbed for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 7.5 lakh from a private company, Sankalp Consumer Products.
Kainthla is the fifth person to be arrested in the scam and officials said the company was allegedly favoured by CSD officials at various stages such as introduction of items, price revision, delayed and excess supply, demand creation and budget allocation of CSD in lieu of huge illegal gratifications to CSD officials.
A Brigadier rank officer was also facing a court of inquiry in Delhi for allegedly borrowing large sums of money from his subordinates and some contractors and not returning it. Brigadier LI Singh’s case came to light in June when some his juniors from whom he had borrowed money complained to higher authorities and the Army ordered a probe.
 Besides these recent cases, a CBI probe is on in the alleged no-objection given for transfer of defence land in Pune in 2010 to a builder. The involvement of the then Vice Chief Lt General Noble Thamburaj had cropped up in this connection. He was reportedly allotted a flat in the housing society constructed by the builder, who was given the land and there was a loss of more than Rs 20 crore.
 Similarly, a no-objection certificate for a piece of land adjacent to an Ordnance depot in Kandivli, Mumbai, was given by certain Major General rank officers to a builder for construction of flats. The CBI started investigations in late 2010 into the deal and reports indicated that at least six senior Army officers including a former Army Chief were allotted flats in that housing society.
 Given the number of cases involving senior officers hitting headlines, former Navy Chief Admiral L Ramdas wrote a letter to Prime Minister last Friday expressing concern over “continuing fall in ethical standards” in the Armed Forces and sought setting up of a commission to probe the recent controversies surrounding them.
 In the letter, the former Navy Chief said the recent controversies have adversely affected the morale of the forces, which could pose a serious threat to the national security.
“With the continuing fall in ethical standards at all levels in the country, including within the Armed Forces, we believe it is our duty and right to call your attention to these developments,” Ramdas said.
 Listing out the age row involving former Army Chief General VK Singh, leakage of his ‘top secret’ letter to the Prime Minister, alleged spying in Defence Ministry and corruption in military deals, he said “this situation must be addressed with urgency, because it could pose a serious threat to our national security.” The letter claimed support of retired Lieutenant Generals PC Katoch, OS Lochab, Major General Ashok Kalyan Verma and former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami.
Who will spring to Army’s defense this time?