Monthly Archives: August 2018

Tribune News Service

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, April 19  

Finding a Group Captain’s dismissal from service by a General Court Martial ( GCM) disproportionate to the gravity of offence, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, has commuted his sentence to forfeiture of seniority and service for increased pay and pension.

A General Court Martial (GCM) at 13 Base Repair Depot (BRD), Palam, Delhi, had dismissed Group Captain D Viswanath of the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch on September 8, 2022, after finding him guilty under Section 41 (1) of the Air Force Act for wilful defiance of authority on two occasions.

Air Commodore Y Umesh, Air Officer Commanding (AOC), 7 BRD, Tughlakabad, Delhi, had ordered Group Captain Vishwanath, then posted at 7 BRD, in writing to meet him at his office on May 18, 2021. He did not adhere to the order.

The AOC again ordered Group Captain Vishwanath to report at his office on May 21, 2021. This time, too, he did not obey the order.

In his second communication, Air Commodore Umesh had explained to Group Captain Vishwanath that it was necessary for him to meet him as he wanted to convey important instructions to him.  

Air Commodore Umesh had stated during the GCM that the Group Captain was avoiding him and was unreachable, and that was the reason he had issued letters to him for a meeting.

After the GCM’s order, Group Captain Vishwanath filed a pre-confirmation petition before the Chief of Air Staff.

“After having considered the facts and circumstances of the case and the fact that Group Captain Vishwanath has had a clean record, the Chief of Air Staff has commuted the punishment,” said Wing Commander Deepak Bansal (retd), counsel for Group Captain Vishwanath.

Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari has commuted the sentence of dismissal to forfeiture of two years, 11 months and 25 days’ seniority of rank, and forfeiture of five years and three months of service for the purpose of increased pay and pension. Besides, he has been “severly reprimanded”.  

Group Captain Vishwanath had claimed that he was not in a sound mental state at the time of the commission of the offence and during the trial. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari, however, overruled it and stated in his speaking order the Group Captain was diagnosed with “adjustment disorder” in October 2009, but he was declared fully fit in September 2011 and, subsequently, there was no record of any mental disorder.  

During the GCM, medical officers had examined him and found him fit to undergo the trial.

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.The procedure for getting registered with RODRA for downloading your E-PPO. AS UNDER.
fIRST STEP find whether your E-PPO is ready or not with RODRA. For that go to Google and type Rodra. It will show some links for Rodra. The top link is Rodra. Click on that. It will take you the main page of RODRA. Go to More on the menu. Click on More.

You will be shown three sub-menus. Top is 7th CPC E-PPP. Click on that. It you to another page. Enter your service no without suffix and enter Catchpa. It will tell you whether your E-PPO is generated and if generated it will your E-PPO No. Then you have to register with RODRA to get your E-PPO. The three steps to down load your E-PPO in case your E-PPO is ready with RODRA are given below.
FIRST STEP register with RODRA to download E-PPO. Go to Google. Type Rodra. It will take you to first Rodra link. Click on that. You will be taken to main page of RODRA. Click on SignUp. You will see a lady with white clothes with her son and another lady receiving an award from HE President of India. It will ask you certain basic data about you. Enter all the data. Click on Submit. You will get OTP on your mobile. You will be asked to enter user id (service No) and password. Kindly note down your password (your must first write it down in a note book ) and then only enter it. Once it is done, you are registered.
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Third Step: You go to top of menu and at the right side you see Downloads. Click on that and at the top you will find the E-PPO. Click on that and download E-PPO. Store it in your computer. Capture the photo of your E-PPO on your computer screen with your mobile. Take 5 to 10 copies of E-PPOs and keep them in a file titled Pension / SPARSH and place that file in a brief case.
If you feel you are NOT confident to register and get E-PPO from RODRA, then call on 94931 91380. TO register on RODRA. Select your own Password. When I ask you to give me the OTP in your mobile, do kindly give me. You have to be online with me in the phone for 5 to 10 mins. Then I will get you registered in RODRA and get your E-PPO after registering in just five to max 10 mins.
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Brig CS Vidyasagar (Retd)

Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, April 11

As many as 47 years after a veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War was invalided out of service on medical grounds because of wounds sustained in the battlefield, he has been granted war injury pension.

Option for Centre

We leave it open to the Centre to recover the amount from the salary of the officer(s) or official(s) responsible for denial of such claim to the petitioner. — Bench

Coming down heavily on the Centre, the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal has held that soldier Jeet Singh of the Sikh Regiment is entitled to pension from the date of his discharge in July 1976 with all consequential benefits.

He had received injuries on the scalp and left leg, along with sensory neural deafness, due to a mine blast during deployment in Operation Cactus Lily in the Western Sector. His disability was assessed as 40 per cent, rounded off to 50 per cent, for life.

“Cost of Rs 25,000 is also imposed on the respondents for unnecessarily withholding the just claim of the petitioner for such a long time without there being any valid reason,” the Tribunal’s Bench comprising Justice Charam Chand Chaudhary and Lt Gen Ranbir Singh ruled.

Directing that the war injury element will continue to be paid to him for life, the Bench added, “We, however, leave it open to the Centre to recover the amount from the salary of the officer(s) or official(s) responsible for denial of such claim to the petitioner.”

Jeet was enrolled in the Army in September 1965 and discharged in low medical category after rendering 10 years and nine months of service. His injuries were held attributable to military service and he was granted disability pension but was denied the war injury element.

He had contended that such action on the part of the officials was in contravention of the government policies on the subject as well as the law laid down by the Supreme Court on this issue. Denial of such relief to him was not only illegal but contrary and capricious also, he averred.

The Bench observed there is no dispute that Operation Cactus Lily was an operation specifically notified by the the Centre and the injuries sustained by the soldier have admittedly been received in a mine blast during the operation. The reason for rejection of the claim for war injury pension is the absence of the battle casualty certificate.

“The petitioner is entitled to war injury pension instead of disability and the denial is not only an abuse of power vested in the respondents but capricious also,” the Bench ruled while referring to some of the judgements passed by the High Courts in similar cases.

New Delhi, April 12

An INSAS rifle that was reported missing at the Bhatinda Military Station where four soldiers were killed in a firing incident on Wednesday morning has been found, the Army said.

Also Read

• Four Army jawans killed in firing at Bathinda military station; two suspects in civvies opened fire, says FIR

It was suspected that the missing rifle was used in the firing incident.

“A search team has located the INSAS rifle along with the magazine. Army and police joint teams will now be undertaking forensic analysis of the weapon for ascertaining further details,” the Army’s South Western Command said.

“The balance number of rounds in the weapon will only be available after forensic analysis. The joint investigation with Punjab Police is in progress,” it said.

After the firing incident, the South Western Command said in a statement that all aspects, including the possible case of involvement of an INSAS rifle along with 28 rounds reported missing two days back, are being ascertained.

The Army said no individual has been detained or apprehended for the killing.

All possible assistance is being provided to the police, it said.  

Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh/New Delhi, April 12

Four soldiers from an artillery unit were killed in a shooting incident at the Bathinda Military Station in Punjab early Wednesday morning.

Also Read

Missing INSAS rifle at Bhatinda military station found

“A firing incident reported around 4.35 am inside the Bathinda Military Station. Station Quick Reaction Teams were activated. The area was cordoned off and sealed,” a senior officer said.

Bathinda SP (Investigation) Ajay Gandhi, who is heading a police team probing the incident, said two persons in civil dress were believed to behind the shooting.

As per FIR registered at Cantt police station, two accused were wearing white kurta-pyjama and after opening fire at four jawans sleeping in two barrack rooms behind the officers’ mess at Bathinda Military Station, they went into the forest area. Search operation is still on.

An INSAS rifle that was reported missing at the Bhatinda Military Station where four soldiers were killed in a firing incident on Wednesday morning has been found, the Army said.

An INSAS rifle from the unit and 28 rounds of ammunition had gone missing from the unit premises two days ago.

The Punjab Police, which is investigating the matter along with their military counterparts, said according to the information gathered so far, the incident was not a terrorist act.

The four personnel, in their mid 20s, were sleeping when the firing took place around 4.30 am near the barracks behind a mess.

The slain jawans were identified as Sagar Banne (25), Kamalesh R (24), Yogesh Kumar J (24) and Santosh M Nagaral (25), police said.

Earlier, the Punjab Police called it a ‘fratricidal incident’. “It is not a terrorist attack, it is not an attack from outside,” Punjab’s Additional Director General of Police, SPS Parmar, said.  

It is learnt that Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the matter.

As per police, CCTV footage is being scanned and the Army is conducting a cordon-and-search operation and the entire area has been sanitised.

“Our investigation is going on jointly with military police,” Gandhi said.

“It has been ascertained that in the unfortunate incident, four army jawans of an artillery unit succumbed to gunshot injuries sustained during the incident. No other injuries to personnel or loss/damage to property have been reported,” the Army’s South Western command said in a statement.

It further said all aspects, including the possible case of involvement of an INSAS rifle along with 28 rounds reported missing two days back, are being ascertained.

Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police Gulneet Singh Khurana said in the evening, “As per the information we have gathered so far, it is clear that it is not a terrorist act.” 

Earlier in the day, Khurana, while referring to the incident, had said, “It is an internal issue, it appears to be fratricidal issue. Our investigation teams have reached inside (military station) with all forensic equipment and they are conducting investigations. In-depth investigations are going on.”

Speaking to reporters, Bathinda Police Station Cantt Station House Officer Gurdeep Singh said nobody has been detained in connection with the incident so far.

Further asked when police received the complaint about the missing rifle, he said they got the information on Tuesday evening.

The Army said the area continues to be sealed off and joint investigations with the Punjab Police are being coordinated to establish facts of the case.

Bathinda is an important military installation and houses the headquarters of 10 Corps, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Jaipur-based South Western Command.

The station is also home to a large number of operational Army units and other static establishments.

“A court of inquiry will investigate the entire matter to establish the facts of the case and fix responsibility,” an officer said.

Apart from the four soldiers, there has been no other casualty in the incident nor any damage or loss to property, the Army said. With PTI inputs

Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh/New Delhi, April 12

Four soldiers from an artillery unit were killed in a shooting incident at the Bathinda Military Station in Punjab early Wednesday morning.

Also Read

Missing INSAS rifle at Bhatinda military station found

“A firing incident reported around 4.35 am inside the Bathinda Military Station. Station Quick Reaction Teams were activated. The area was cordoned off and sealed,” a senior officer said.

Bathinda SP (Investigation) Ajay Gandhi, who is heading a police team probing the incident, said two persons in civil dress were believed to behind the shooting.

As per FIR registered at Cantt police station, two accused were wearing white kurta-pyjama and after opening fire at four jawans sleeping in two barrack rooms behind the officers’ mess at Bathinda Military Station, they went into the forest area. Search operation is still on.

An INSAS rifle that was reported missing at the Bhatinda Military Station where four soldiers were killed in a firing incident on Wednesday morning has been found, the Army said.

An INSAS rifle from the unit and 28 rounds of ammunition had gone missing from the unit premises two days ago.

The Punjab Police, which is investigating the matter along with their military counterparts, said according to the information gathered so far, the incident was not a terrorist act.

The four personnel, in their mid 20s, were sleeping when the firing took place around 4.30 am near the barracks behind a mess.

The slain jawans were identified as Sagar Banne (25), Kamalesh R (24), Yogesh Kumar J (24) and Santosh M Nagaral (25), police said.

Earlier, the Punjab Police called it a ‘fratricidal incident’. “It is not a terrorist attack, it is not an attack from outside,” Punjab’s Additional Director General of Police, SPS Parmar, said.  

It is learnt that Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the matter.

As per police, CCTV footage is being scanned and the Army is conducting a cordon-and-search operation and the entire area has been sanitised.

“Our investigation is going on jointly with military police,” Gandhi said.

“It has been ascertained that in the unfortunate incident, four army jawans of an artillery unit succumbed to gunshot injuries sustained during the incident. No other injuries to personnel or loss/damage to property have been reported,” the Army’s South Western command said in a statement.

It further said all aspects, including the possible case of involvement of an INSAS rifle along with 28 rounds reported missing two days back, are being ascertained.

Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police Gulneet Singh Khurana said in the evening, “As per the information we have gathered so far, it is clear that it is not a terrorist act.” 

Earlier in the day, Khurana, while referring to the incident, had said, “It is an internal issue, it appears to be fratricidal issue. Our investigation teams have reached inside (military station) with all forensic equipment and they are conducting investigations. In-depth investigations are going on.”

Speaking to reporters, Bathinda Police Station Cantt Station House Officer Gurdeep Singh said nobody has been detained in connection with the incident so far.

Further asked when police received the complaint about the missing rifle, he said they got the information on Tuesday evening.

The Army said the area continues to be sealed off and joint investigations with the Punjab Police are being coordinated to establish facts of the case.

Bathinda is an important military installation and houses the headquarters of 10 Corps, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Jaipur-based South Western Command.

The station is also home to a large number of operational Army units and other static establishments.

“A court of inquiry will investigate the entire matter to establish the facts of the case and fix responsibility,” an officer said.

Apart from the four soldiers, there has been no other casualty in the incident nor any damage or loss to property, the Army said. With PTI inputs

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