New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) The defence ministry Thursday ordered an inquiry into an alleged land scam in Darjeeling in West Bengal involving two lieutenant generals - including the designated deputy chief of army staff.
“The defence minister (A.K. Antony) has ordered inquiry into the alleged land scam,” a senior defence ministry official said without divulging further information.

The alleged fraud related to how an institution, posing as an affiliate of the Ajmer-based Mayo College, obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) from army officials for transferring a large tea estate adjacent to the Sukna military station in Darjeeling a few years ago.

An NOC is mandatory for sale of land adjacent to military stations due to security reasons. The army had initially refused an NOC but the decision was allegedly reversed by senior officers. Deputy Chief of Army Staff-designate Lt Gen P.K. Rath and present Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadhesh Prakash have allegedly come under the scanner in the scam.

The army, which has already ordered a probe into the episode claims that the probe was against procedural lapses and not directed against any individual.

Antony Wednesday said that nobody would be allowed to go “scot free” if found guilty and that the government was taking a serious view of the corruption in the armed forces.