Army officials on Monday said Major Gogoi, who was also at the center of the “human shield” controversy at Budgam district in April last year but got a clean chit and even an award in that episode, has been found prima facie guilty for violating orders during the incident in May this year.
The court of inquiry (CoI), headed by a brigadier, has prima facie indicted him for “fraternizing with a woman source against existing orders” and “leaving his unit post in an operational area without permission” from his superiors in May this year, as was earlier reported by TOI.
The Army on Monday said orders have now been issued to initiate disciplinary action against Major Gogoi. The punishment to the officer can range from a severe reprimand to summary dismissal from Service depending on the evidence that emerges during the recording of the summary of evidence (SoE), which is followed by a court martial or the actual trial in the military legal system.
Major Gogoi, posted with the 53 Rashtriya Rifles (Punjab Regiment) at Beerwa in Budgam district, had first faced flak after he controversially decided to truss up a civilian named Farooq Ahmad Dar on his jeep’s bonnet as “a human shield” to rescue over a dozen security and election personnel from a stone-pelting mob in Budgam district on April 9 last year.
Brushing aside criticism that Major Gogoi had violated human rights, General Bipin Rawat had awarded Major Gogoi with the chief of army staff commendation card for his “sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations as well as his presence of mind and initiative to prevent bloodshed in a volatile situation”.
But on May 23 this year, Major Gogoi had once again triggered a controversy after the police detained him, along with the Kashmiri woman and a third person, following an altercation over them getting a room in the Grand Mamta Hotel in Srinagar.
Gen Rawat had then stated that exemplary punishment would be given to Major Gogoi if he was found guilty of any offence. “If any officer of the Indian Army is found guilty of any offence, we take strictest possible action… If Major Gogoi has done something wrong, I assure you he will be awarded punishment at the earliest... The punishment will set an example,” said Gen Rawat.
from Times of India https://ift.tt/2woJReL
