A file photo of the 31-storey Adarsh Housing Society building complex located at Colaba in Mumbai. — PTI

New Delhi, July 9Two former army chiefs — General N C Vij and General Deepak Kapoor — and several other retired military officials have been named by a high-level inquiry committee appointed by the defence ministry for their alleged complicity in the Adarsh Housing Society scam in Mumbai.The probe panel also mentioned three retired Lt Generals – G S Sihota, Tejinder Singh and Shantanu Choudhary — and four Major Generals – A R Kumar, V S Yadav, T K Kaul and R K Hooda — in its over 100-page report, citing a range of violations and irregularities.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The apartments in a tony part of town in Mumbai were meant for the families of Kargil heroes. But army officers, politicians and bureaucrats were allegedly allotted flats in violation of the rules.Seen as a symbol of corruption, the Adarsh scam had kicked up a huge political storm after it surfaced in 2010, leading to the resignation of then Congress chief minister Ashok Chavan.Sources said the defence ministry report is a validation of the findings of a Court of Inquiry by the Army in 2011 which had probed the roles of a number of military officials in the scam.According to the findings of the probe, Gen Vij appeared to have provided a “protective umbrella” towards efforts in facilitating the “alienation of the land in question”.It said at no stage did he raise any questions on the matter, nor did he flag any security concerns during the annual security review as the Army Commander or otherwise.The report said it was known that he had a “vested interest” in the matter, the sources said.About Gen Kapoor, the report said though he was not directly connected with the case, he was not “well advised” in accepting a membership of the society, adding that it did not seem he had adequately weighed the implications of accepting a flat in the complex.The Indian Navy had raised security concerns as the 31-storey building overlooked several of its key installations.The housing complex, built on defence land, was originally for Kargil war heroes and those who had lost their spouses in the war.The defence ministry probe found a number of other senior military officials guilty and said all those found involved in the scam or those who had turned a blind eye to the irregularities should not be engaged in any employment or services by the government.The Bombay high court, in an order last year, blamed members of the housing society, who it said happened to be close relatives of highly-placed bureaucrats or related to politicians or ministers, for conspiring with them to grab a plot.Former navy chief admiral Madhavendra Singh, who was also allotted a flat in the housing society, has also been named in the report.The report said though he was not involved in the scam, he was ineligible to become a member of the housing society as he gave a misleading undertaking stating that he did not own any house in Mumbai.According to the findings, almost all the military officials found guilty in the scam were given flats in the complex.Then Defence minister A K Antony had on December 9, 2010, ordered a CBI probe to fix responsibility among armed forces and defence estates officers in the scam.The probe agency was also asked to look into commitments made for allotment of flats in the society for Kargil widows and martyrs’ families.The preliminary findings of the ministry’s probe brought out a “criminal conspiracy” at the local level in the Army and defence estates to give up the land, which was in the Army’s possession till 1999-2000, in favour of the housing society. — PTI

PTI file phto

Ajay Banerjee

TribuneNews Service

New Delhi, July 6

In a significant strategic signal to the military world, India, the US and Japan will create  a unique first when three seaborne aircraft carriers — considered the most potent projection of power by a country at sea — will be operating in the Bay of Bengal under exercise named ‘Malabar’ commencing on July 10.India will field its Russian built 46,000-tonne warship, the INS Vikramaditya, with onboard MiG-29k fighter jets. The US navy will bring its one lakh-tonne nuclear-powered USS Nimitiz with onboard F/A-18 Boeing fighter jets. Japan will be fielding its flat-deck, JS Izumo, a 24,000-tonne helicopter carrier specialising in anti-submarine warfare.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Though named helicopter, the carrier’s 248-metre-long deck makes it often getting termed as an “aircraft carrier in disguise”. The F-35B jet built by Lockheed Martin has the ability to do short take off and vertical (STOVL). More than 120 platforms – fighter planes, warships, submarines, surveillance aircraft and helicopters – drawn from the navies of these three countries shall be part of the exercise.And with such a massive flotilla being around, China is expectedly not far behind. Its intelligence-gathering warship, the ‘Haiwingxing’, entered the waters of the Indian Ocean in the end of June. These are international waters and one can be stationed there outside the designated and announced area of exercise. A spy ship normally listening can captures radar signatures of vessels — unique to ship, plane or submarine.The Malabar is part of ongoing series of exercises that have grown in scope and complexity over the years to address the variety of shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific.The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training. While ashore in Chennai, training will include subject matter expert and professional exchanges on carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, surface and anti-submarine warfare, medical operations, damage control, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), helicopter operations, and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations.The at-sea portions, to be conducted in the Bay of Bengal, are designed to advance participating nations’ military-to-military coordination and capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment.  PTI file phto Ajay Banerjee TribuneNews Service New Delhi, July 6 In a significant strategic signal to the military world, India, the US and Japan will create  a unique first when three seaborne aircraft carriers — considered the most potent projection of power by a country at sea — will be operating in the Bay of Bengal under exercise named ‘Malabar’ commencing on July 10. India will field its Russian built 46,000-tonne warship, the INS Vikramaditya, with onboard MiG-29k fighter jets. The US navy will bring its one lakh-tonne nuclear-powered USS Nimitiz with onboard F/A-18 Boeing fighter jets. Japan will be fielding its flat-deck, JS Izumo, a 24,000-tonne helicopter carrier specialising in anti-submarine warfare. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)  Though named helicopter, the carrier’s 248-metre-long deck makes it often getting termed as an “aircraft carrier in disguise”. The F-35B jet built by Lockheed Martin has the ability to do short take off and vertical (STOVL).  More than 120 platforms – fighter planes, warships, submarines, surveillance aircraft and helicopters – drawn from the navies of these three countries shall be part of the exercise. And with such a massive flotilla being around, China is expectedly not far behind. Its intelligence-gathering warship, the ‘Haiwingxing’, entered the waters of the Indian Ocean in the end of June. These are international waters and one can be stationed there outside the designated and announced area of exercise. A spy ship normally listening can captures radar signatures of vessels — unique to ship, plane or submarine. The Malabar is part of ongoing series of exercises that have grown in scope and complexity over the years to address the variety of shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific. The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training. While ashore in Chennai, training will include subject matter expert and professional exchanges on carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, surface and anti-submarine warfare, medical operations, damage control, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), helicopter operations, and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations. The at-sea portions, to be conducted in the Bay of Bengal, are designed to advance participating nations’ military-to-military coordination and capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment.

Naval drill ‘Malabar’ begins on July 10

• India will host the United States and Japan for naval drill ‘Malabar’ in the Bayof Bengal on July 10
• The 2017 exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training off the eastern coast of India with focus on high-end war-fighting skill sets, combined carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol, surface and anti-submarine warfare, etc.

Naval drill ‘Malabar’ begins on July 10 India will host the United States and Japan for naval drill ‘Malabar’ in the Bayof Bengal on July 10 The 2017 exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training off the eastern coast of India with focus on high-end war-fighting skill sets, combined carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol, surface and anti-submarine warfare, etc.

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 3

Fruit and vegetable dealers and vendors at the wholesale market at Vallah have a new ray of hope after the Defence Ministry reduces the area of no-construction zone around ammunition depots.Situated in the vicinity of Vallah ammunition depot of the Army, the progress of the Vallah Mandi had stopped due to restrictions enforced to safeguard the vital defence installation. Fruit and Vegetable Merchants Union general secretary Surinder Bindra said the Director General of Defence Estates through a circular dated October 21 had stated that ammunition depots were categorised into two categories and no-construction zones were reduced to 10 metres and 50 metres in each of them.He said the circular was put on the internet, but the local authorities were not aware of it. He requested the district administration to confirm the matter with the Central and state governments to implement it locally.Union president Ravinder Singh Sekhon said the ammunition depot came into existence in 2004 and during the same time the wholesale fruit and vegetable market was also shifted out of the congested part of the city to Vallah. He said due to restriction of construction within a periphery of 1,000 yards of the ammunition depot, many shops could not be raised. He said even simple amenities were also denied.Sekhon said 75 traders, uprooted from the old Sabzi Mandi outside the Hall Gate, were allotted space in the new market in 2004. Fourty concrete shops were constructed. The remaining 35 traders were not allowed in the new market after the ammunition depot rules were enforced. These disgruntled traders went to the Court and on the directions of the Court, the Mandi Board relocated these 35 traders to a new site within the Vallah Mandi in 2010.However, the traders failed to get enough business as the site was not suitably located in the main market. Now, these traders are demanding swift implementation of the rules so that they can get a modern market with all amenities.In December 2013, Operational and Logistics Branch of the Home Department carried out a survey of all ammunition depots in Punjab, including Vallah, to ascertain if any reduction in the notified area could be made, he recalled.

Construction area to increase

Situated in the vicinity of ammunition depot of the Army, the progress of the Vallah Mandi had stopped due to restrictions enforced to safeguard the vital defence installation. Fruit and Vegetable Merchants Union general secretary Surinder Bindra said the circular in this regard was available on internet, but the local authorities were not aware of it. He requested the district administration to implement it locally as soon as possible.

The chopper was on a flood victim rescue mission. — Representational image

Itanagar, July 5

A massive ground search operation is on for the second day on Wednesday in Arunachal Pradesh for a missing Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter with three operating crews on board, an official said.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

“Rescue teams from the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police along with state police were trekking through the jungle and hill areas between Yupia and Hoj Telam in Papum Pare district to locate the missing chopper,” Sandeep Goel, the police chief of Arunachal Pradesh, said.

Meanwhile, police officials quoting eyewitnesses said the helicopter may have crashed at Hostalam between Borum and Toru area.

The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the IAF engaged in flood rescue mission in the state went missing on Tuesday at 3.50 pm after it took off from Pilputu Helipad near Sagalee for the Naharlagun heliport.

The helicopter was evacuating people stranded in Sagalee and Dambuk due to massive landslides caused by heavy rains.

Tezpur-based Defence spokesperson Lt Col Sombit Ghosh said the chopper had gone out for flood rescue operations from its base in Jorhat on Tuesday morning.

Papum Pare district official J.Pertin said the IAF helicopter which was pressed into evacuation of people stranded due to floods in Sagalee, had made five sorties since it arrived there at around 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday.

“In the sixth sortie to Naharlagun, for unknown reason, the crew did not take the last batch of nine civilians and took off from Sagalee with just one policeman, who was deployed to help the two crew members and then went missing,” Pertin told IANS.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Pema Khandu had said in a tweet that 169 persons had been evacuated from Sagalee and Dambuk by the Indian Air Force during the day till then.

“Successfully evacuated 169 stranded people that include women, children from flood affected areas of Sagalee and Dambuk through IAF,” Khandu said.

Sagalee is just north of Itanagar, Dambuk in Lower Dibang Valley is about 350 km east of here.

In May, two pilots of the Indian Air Force in Sukhoi-30 fighter jet crashed near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

In 2015, a Pawan Hans helicopter with three persons on board, including Tirap Deputy Commissioner Kamlesh Joshi, crashed in a dense jungle. Joshi was killed in the crash.

In 2011, the then Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others died after their Pawan Hans chopper crashed at a remote location in the state.

A few days later, another helicopter crashed while landing in Tawang, killing 16 people.

Following the crashes, commercial chopper services were stopped in the state till 2013 when Pawan Hans restarted the service in Arunachal Pradesh and other parts of the region.

Pawan Hans Helicopter Services Limited (PHHL) has been operating chopper services across Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura and daily Guwahati-Tawang services for over 15 years.

It is one of the major lifelines in the landlocked and mountainous Arunachal Pradesh. — IANS

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks toward President Donald Trump as he speaks in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington on Monday. AP/PTI photo

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 27

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up a successful US visit, an unhappy China warned about the potential disastrous results of such India-US alliance. The message was delivered in an article in the state-controlled Global Times (GT) which said Washington and New Delhi seem to be getting closer to one another in their shared “anxieties” about the rise of China.In another article in GT, China again pointed fingers at India and said New Delhi’s objections have affected the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the short run but also added if China and Pakistan stay firm in their cooperation, they can dispel India’s doubts and objections. India’s main objection to the CPEC is that it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The GT article, apparently referring to the bonhomie that was on display when Modi and Trump met and also with reference to the fact that both leaders called for freedom of navigation and resolving of territorial and maritime disputes peacefully in accordance with international law said, “To assume a role as an outpost country in the US’ strategy to contain China is not in line with India’s interests. It could even lead to catastrophic results.”The second article on CPEC also reaffirmed that despite the recent security concerns, CPEC is going ahead when one considers the fact that the “return rate of the CPEC for China is generally higher than that in other countries.”

Delhi’s oppn will ‘hit CPEC’ in short run

• An article in Chinese media says India’s objections have affected the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the short run
• It added if China and Pakistan stay firm in their cooperation, they can dispel India’s doubts and objections
• India’s key objection to the CPEC is that it passes throughPakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)

Visitors look at photographs of martyrs at Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1 in Amritsar on Friday. Tribune Photo

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 16

A gallery, ‘Wall of Heroes’, displaying the pictures of 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees was inaugurated at Kendriya Vidyalaya No.1 here recently.Of the 21 gallant soldiers, 19 were given the gallantry award posthumously. Of them, one soldier was from the Air Force.Officiating principal Anchal Saxena said the photographs of these valiant soldiers and their sacrifices would be displayed in all branches of the school.Admin Commandant Col NR Maggo and member of the School Administrative Committee Col PVS Sangwan were the chief guests during the inauguration ceremony of the gallery.The chief guests said the wall of heroes would not only inform the sacrifices made by these war heroes to the posterity but would inspire them to safeguard the country from any foreign aggression.

Vishal Jasrotia

Samba, June 15

After the sighting of four suspects at the Industrial Growth Centre (IGC), Phase I in Samba, by some locals, security agencies sounded a high alert here today.According to information, dhaba owner Kuldeep Raj informed the police that he had spotted a group of four masked persons wearing black clothes and carrying backpacks around5 am. The police and the Army launched a search operation and a cordon was laid. No suspect could be traced and apprehended during the five-hour-long search operation.Senior Superintendent of Police, Samba, Anil Mangotra said following the inputs of sighting of suspects, the police and Army rushed to the spot and launched a joint search operation in the area. Besides beginning a combing operation, teams also visited several industries and enquired about the workers to trace the suspects.“We have scanned the footage of the CCTV cameras installed at the entrance of some industries to identify the suspects, but no particular movement has been noticed in the footage. It seems that they (suspects) might be labourers who were returning from the Basantar river after attending the nature’s call,” the SSP said.“However, we cannot rule out the possibility of suspicious movement of suspects. We are also examining the CCTV footage of other industries and talking to people to get more details. The security has been beefed up in the entire district,” he said.

File photo of the Indian Army personnel. For representation only.

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 10

A militant was killed in a gunfight as the Army foiled an infiltration bid in Gurez sector of Bandipora district in Kashmir.Defence sources said a group of militants was intercepted close to the Line of Control in Gurez sector during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday by the soldiers.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)“As militants were challanged, they opened fire triggering a gunfight. The body of one militant was recovered this morning and one weapon was also recovered,” they said, adding that the combing operation is still underway.At least 13 militants have been killed in four gunfights in Nowgam and Machil in frontier Kupwara district, Uri in Baramulla and Gurez in Bandipora since Wednesday.An Army jawan was also killed in one of these gunfights.  Since Wednesday multiple infiltration attempts backed by Pakistan Army have been foiled along the LoC in Kashmir.Large quantity of arms and ammunition has been recovered from the gunfight sites.

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बहुत हो चूका ढिंढोरा, सेना के कंधे पर बैठ राजनीति बंद करे सत्ताधारी पार्टी।

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