After Major Dimple Singla, a judge advocate general branch officer, who was tried on charges of corruption in 2006 in Chandigarh, a second woman officer of the army has been court-martialled. A court of Inquiry set up by the Army, sacked Captain Poonam Kaur for levelling ‘false’ allegations of physical and mental harassment against her seniors. Captain Poonam Kaur of Kalka based ASC (Army Services Corps) battalion had accused her seniors, including her commanding officer, of physically and mentally harassing her over the past few months.
She was found guilty by a court of inquiry of disobedience, making false allegations against superior officers and leaking information to the media. In July 2008, Kaur alleged in that three officers of her unit, the Army Supply Corps (ASC), had sexually abused her and illegally confined her after she resisted their advances.
She said her efforts to resolve the problem with the intervention of Army authorities failed, when her mother and younger brother, who were staying with her, were thrown out of the quarters and she was illegally detained there. “On Sunday, I wrote to the Major General,” she said. However, subsequently, her mother and brother were thrown out of the units on Tuesday, she added. “They used to call me to the office without any reason and would force me to stay during late-night parties,” she claimed, adding when the seniors’ conduct became unbearable, she asked her grandmother and mother to stay with her.
Denying the allegations, a defence spokesperson had said an officer of the rank of Major General visited the Kalka unit and saw for himself that Capt Poonam Kaur had not been put under house arrest. “The Major General, ASC, visited the ASC Battalion where he met the commanding officer and tried to meet the woman officer. However, she refused to emerge out of her quarters,” the spokesperson had added.
The Army officials said on June 30, Capt Poonam Kaur was ordered to move to Pathankot for commanding a detachment of her unit located there. Though she accepted the orders, the officer ? citing personal reasons ? requested to leave by July 11, they said, adding when asked again on July 11 she asked for permission to go by July 12. This was also agreed to, the officials had said.
The Army had rejected her allegations and claimed she had a “mental weakness”. Kaur’s lawyer S K Agarwal said that his client didn’t expect justice from the Army and a “victim” has been turned into an “accused”. “This is the first case in the Indian Army that a victim has been made the accused. She was systemically victimised by the Army,” said Aggarwal. 21 charges against her and 11 were dropped. Aggarwal said the punishment was “too harsh” and his client’s allegations against her superiors were not investigated and “were put under the carpet”.
