Indian Army Brigadier court martialled for committing adultery with wife of a Colonel
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Indian Army has initiated the General Court Martial (GCM) proceedings against a Brigadier in Bengal on the charges of committing adultery with the wife of a Colonel, reported Indian Express.
The court martial is being held at HQs 111 Sub Area in Bengdubi military station in Bengal. The Brigadier, who was commanding an Infantry Brigade under the Eastern Command, has been attached with the military station for standing trial.
Sources in Eastern Command Headquarters in Kolkata informed The Indian Express that Maj Gen RS Bhadauria, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of an Mountain Division has been appointed as the Presiding Officer of the court martial while six other officers of the rank of Brigadier have been appointed as members of the GCM. Col Gaurav Arora is the Judge Advocate of the trial and he would be guiding the members of the GCM on the legal aspects of the trial.
The Brigadier facing trial is reportedly being tried on 17 charges which include 11 pertaining to Section 497 of the IPC read in conjunction with Section 69 of the Army Act, four of Section 62 and two of Section 57 of the Army Act.
While Section 69 deals with cases which involve civil offences, Section 62 pertains to “Violation of Good Order and Military Discipline” and Section 57 is applied in cases pertaining to “Falsifying of official documents”.
Earlier, a Court of Inquiry and Summary of Evidence had been held against the officer following which directions were issued to try him by a court martial after sufficient evidence was presented. A complaint had been lodged against the Brigadier following which the Army had ordered disciplinary proceedings against him.
Meanwhile, in a similar case, the Army is conducting Summary of Evidence, a quasi-judicial process, against a Colonel who has been accused by another Colonel of “stealing the affections of brother officer’s wife”. The proceedings are taking place in an Army unit in New Delhi. The accused faces five charges of Section 497 of the IPC dealing with the offence of adultery.
In this case the Court of Inquiry used technical evidence gathered through detailed analysis of phone call records, mobile tower locations and Whatsapp messages to establish the “illicit relations between the accused and another officer’s wife”. ‘Stealing the affection of brother’s wife’ is a serious offence under the Army Act and is punishable by five years rigorous imprisonment.
