Lt Gen Prakash may face court martial in land scam case

New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) A top military official, Lt Gen
Awadesh Prakash, allegedly involved in the Sukna land scam
faces court martial with Indian Defence Minister A K Antony
asking army chief General Deepak Kapoor to initiate
disciplinary action against the officer.
"The Defence Minister has advised the army chief to
initiate disciplinary action against Lt Gen Prakash (Military
Secretary in the army)," highly-placed Defence Ministry
sources said here Wednesday.
Disciplinary action could lead to a court martial against
Lt Gen Prakash, who is in the dock in the scam along with two
other Lieutenant Generals and a Major General.
The army chief had earlier ordered administrative action
against Gen Prakash wherein the court martial was not a
requirement. Prakash was issued a show-cause notice to which
he has replied.
Lt Gen Prakash, considered close to the army chief,
would be retiring on January 31.
Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen V K Singh, the army chief
designate, had recommended tough action against Lt Gen Prakash
and other accused officials on the basis of a Court of Inquiry
which indicted them for issuing a no-objection certificate
(NOC) for sale of a 71-acre land adjacent to Sukna military
station in West Bengal's Darjeeling. (MORE) PTI