Military secretary found guilty of corruption in land scam

A high-ranking army officer, a lieutenant general responsible for promotions and postings, has been found guilty on several counts of misdeed in favouring a private company to build a sprawling educational establishment at a sensitive location.

This is perhaps the first time that a principal staff officer (PSO), one of the seven senior Lt Generals who look after crucial functions and report directly to the army chief, has been found guilty of such misdeeds, including conspiracy.

Military secretary Lt Gen Avdhesh Prakash entertained the businessmen, who wanted to set up the educational establishment, at his official residence; he forced the military to modify a proposed memorandum of understanding with the business house, and even met several people on behalf of the proposed institution, the court of inquiry in Kolkata has found. His culpability in the fraud “has been established beyond doubt,” a military source told DNA.

The inquiry wound up this weekend, and is expected to submit its report in a couple of days. The findings raise uncomfortable questions for the government: Will it allow the army to let the rules take their course — including possible convening a court-martial to try Lt Gen Prakash? Or will it take recourse to other means, such as the summary dismissal of the Lt General to show its resolve to fight corruption and such misdeeds? Or, will it give him an ‘honourable’ exit from the army, allowing him to go on leave till retirement?

According to military sources, the court of inquiry into the land scam at the 33 Corps headquarters in Sukna, West Bengal, was told by several military officers and private individuals that Lt Gen Prakash played a crucial role in the entire conspiracy.

The idea was to replace the original decision of the 33 Corps to not permit any commercial enterprises on a piece of land outside the corps headquarters near Siliguri, West Bengal.

To begin with, a forged document was used to replace the original papers (in which the decision not to let private enterprises in the land was recorded). Then a series of other decisions were imposed on the 33 Corps to help the Kolkata-based business group to start a Rs300 crore enterprise on the 70-acre land.

Lt General PK Rath, who was the 33 Corps chief when the army signed the MoU with the private group, told the court of inquiry that most of his actions were at the behest of Lt Gen Prakash.

Sharat Bajoria, the business house owner, told the inquiry that he was introduced to Lt Gen Prakash at the military secretary’s government-allotted residence in New Delhi. In turn, Lt Gen Prakash told the inquiry that he had known Dalip Sabarwal, a contractor who introduced Bajoria to him, for several years.

Incidentally, Sabarwal is also the contractor for building a war memorial in Kumaon regimental centre in Uttaranchal. Lt Gen Prakash is the colonel commandant of the regiment.

Incidentally, a host of policy decisions on promotions during Prakash’s tenure has led to a revolt in the ranks.