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Submit report against 73 guilty officials: SC
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Defence Ministry to submit an action taken report against 73 officials found guilty of illegally selling Army weapons to arms traders and private persons in violation of the Army orders.
After the shocking nexus between Army officials and illegal arms traders was exposed by a PIL filed by lawyer Arvind Kumar Sharma, the Centre presented three reports to the Supreme Court in sealed cover giving damning details of how the illegal arms racket operated from the Sri Ganganagar and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan.
A Court of Inquiry report of September 25, 2008 identified 72 Army officials of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel and one Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) as being guilty of selling Army ammunition and imported arms in violation of Army Orders and Arms Act 1959.
Appearing for the Centre, Defence Ministry counsel informed the Court that based on the Court of Inquiry report, action was initiated against the guilty officials. The bench of Justices SS Nijjar and HL Gokhale called for a fresh status report within a week. In addition, the bench directed the Rajasthan Government to also provide the latest update as regards the progress of investigation into 14 FIRs registered against bureaucrats found to aid and abet the illegal trade.
The State had filed an affidavit in August 2010 informing the Court that all cases were under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. While in most cases chargesheet was prepared, in some cases the State pointed out that the delay was on account of grant of sanction to prosecute the guilty bureaucrats.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Defence Ministry to submit an action taken report against 73 officials found guilty of illegally selling Army weapons to arms traders and private persons in violation of the Army orders.
After the shocking nexus between Army officials and illegal arms traders was exposed by a PIL filed by lawyer Arvind Kumar Sharma, the Centre presented three reports to the Supreme Court in sealed cover giving damning details of how the illegal arms racket operated from the Sri Ganganagar and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan.
A Court of Inquiry report of September 25, 2008 identified 72 Army officials of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel and one Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) as being guilty of selling Army ammunition and imported arms in violation of Army Orders and Arms Act 1959.
Appearing for the Centre, Defence Ministry counsel informed the Court that based on the Court of Inquiry report, action was initiated against the guilty officials. The bench of Justices SS Nijjar and HL Gokhale called for a fresh status report within a week. In addition, the bench directed the Rajasthan Government to also provide the latest update as regards the progress of investigation into 14 FIRs registered against bureaucrats found to aid and abet the illegal trade.
The State had filed an affidavit in August 2010 informing the Court that all cases were under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. While in most cases chargesheet was prepared, in some cases the State pointed out that the delay was on account of grant of sanction to prosecute the guilty bureaucrats.
