Guilty on 2 counts: ‘Fraternising’ with a local, ‘away from place of duty in operational area’

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 31

Major Leetul Gogoi, who is facing court-martial proceedings, is likely to lose seniority as a punishment for “fraternising” with a local woman in Srinagar last year.

Army officials here in Delhi confirmed that the court-martial proceedings against Major Gogoi had been completed and the same will need to be okayed by the Army headquarters. Major Gogoi will have the option of appealing against the verdict.

Loss of seniority would mean Major Gogoi would not pick up his next rank of Lt Colonel as per schedule on completing 13 years in service. The delay in his promotion will depend on the quantum of loss in seniority that is finally okayed.

The court martial was ordered in August last year after a court of inquiry against Major Gogoi had issued orders to initiate disciplinary action on two counts — for ‘fraternising with locals in spite of instructions to the contrary’ and being away from the place of duty while in an operational area.

Major Gogoi was detained by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on May 23 last year from a Srinagar hotel along with a local woman and another soldier. The detained woman was 19 years old and had gone with the officer of her own volition, Jammu and Kashmir Police had said. Hence, no police case was made out. However, the Army rules did not allow Major Gogoi to be let off without punishment.

During the court-martial proceedings, the woman had expressed her unwillingness to depose and informed the Army authorities that she had given a statement before a magistrate and the same should be treated as her final stand.

She also said that she had become a friend of the Army officer through his fake Facebook profile where he had named himself Ubaid Arman. The court-martial process against his driver, Sameer Malla, who was facing charges of unauthorised absence from the unit, was also completed recently in the Kashmir valley and he is likely to be given a “severe reprimand”.

Immediately after the incident came to light last year, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had said exemplary punishment would be given to Major Gogoi if he was found guilty of any offence.

Major Gogoi hit the headlines after he tied a man to a jeep purportedly as a shield against stone-pelters during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha byelection on April 9, 2017. Gen Rawat had then awarded him and supported his act.