Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Twenty-seven Indian Army officers are in the dock with disciplinary proceedings ordered against them after a probe indicted them for illegally selling non-service weapons.

The disciplinary action against them could mean they may soon face a court martial

The officers, mostly lieutenant colonels and colonels, had faced a court of inquiry following a public suit filed in the Rajasthan High Court by an advocate who alleged that the officers were selling their private weapons to people of dubious character, army sources said here Thursday.

The non-service pattern weapons were bought by the army officers from the Central Ordnance Depot in Jabalpur and later sold to civilians in violation of the Arms Act, the petition had contended. The Supreme Court is presently hearing the case.

“Disciplinary action has been initiated against these army officers after the court of inquiry indicted them. Further course of action in the matter, be it court martial or otherwise, will be decided after legal vetting,” the sources said.

The army investigation had found misuse of the privileges extended to service personnel to buy private weapons.

In an earlier instance in 2005, Indian Army officers, including a few seniors, had similarly bought weapons from private suppliers while on a posting in Bhutan as part of the Indian military training team there.

Even as the inquiry into that purchase and subsequent sale continued, the army, in 2009, banned the import of personal firearms and ammunition by its officers while posted in Bhutan.

The army court of inquiry in the 2005 probe had indicted 25 officers who were punished, but did not face a court martial.

But, in the present case, the 27 officers were facing charges for illegal sale of weapons procured from Indian ordnance factories and hence may face serious punishment, the sources added.