MILITARY INTELLIGENCE CAPTAIN FACES SUMMARY TRIAL FOR BOTCHED OPERATION

Curtains are finally falling on the infamous Military Intelligence (MI) operation of 3 Corps Intelligence and Surveillance Unit which had cause cause plenty of controversy just over an year ago.

Capt Rubina Kaur Keer, of the Corps of Military Intelligence, has been ordered to be tried summarily for a botched intelligence operation in Assam in December 2011.

It was in the backdrop of this operation, among other issues, that the then Chief of Army Staff, Gen VK Singh, had held Lt Gen Dalbir Singh, then GOC 3 Corps, responsible for improper handling of 3 Corps Intelligence and Surveillance Unit and had issued a show cause notice for censure just days before proceeding on retirement. The show cause notice delayed the elevation of Lt Gen Dalbir Singh has General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, and it was only after this notice had been set aside post-retirement of Gen VK Singh, that he was able to assume office.

The charge sheet served on the accused officer reveals that the present General Officer Commanding 3 Corps, Lt Gen SL Narsimhan, has ordered that Capt Rubina Kaur Keer who led the operation in the intervening night of December 20-21, 2011, be tried summarily.

Capt Keer faces two charges under Section 63 of the Army Act and stands accused of ‘An omission prejudicial to good order and military discipline”.

The Charge Sheet accuses the officer of not keeping proper command and control over the raiding party which conducted a counter-insurgency operation in the hosue of one Surajit Gogoi which resulted in the blind folding of eyes and tying of hands of family members of Surajit Gogoi.

In the same operation one 7.65 mm pistol belonging to Gogoi and a cell phone were allegedly stolen by members of the military intelligence raiding party taking part in the operation.

Capt Keer faces a second charge for not maintaining a seizure memo of the confiscated documents and not taking a representative of the local police during the conduct of the said operation.

Capt Rubina Keer is a short service commission officer currently posted in a counter intelligence unit in South Western Command and is attached with a unit in Eastern Command for disciplinary action.

The incident has become very controversial after the person whose house was raided, Surajit Gogoi, complained against the raid to Army authorities. As per news reports of the time, a show cause notice was, thus, issued to Lt Gen Dalbir Singh, who is in the line of succession after Gen Bikram Singh, the present Chief of Army Staff, and accused him of "abdicating responsibility" in handling the inmtelligence and surveillance unit in a "most unprofessional and lackadaisical manner".

SHOW CAUSE NOTICE TO COL G SRIKUMAR OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE

Here is the Show Cause notice given to Col G Srikumar, former Commanding Officer of 3 Corps Intelligence and Surveillance Unit and now posted in a Infantry Division, which lead to the eventual award of 'Severe Displeasure' to him by the Chief of Army Staff, General VK Singh.

The officer has approached the Armed Forces Tribunal bring these documents, thus, to the public arena. It is important to note that Para 3 of the Show Cause notice is missing which is a legal infirmity. Also, the mandatory 30 days reply period, which can be cut down to 15 days in exceptional cases, has been deliberately truncated to 10 days so that Gen VK Singh could award the censure before retirement.

Interestingly, the officer was on leave and has still been held responsible for an incident which took place in his absence! Should not the officiating CO be responsible for this? How have the BGS (Ops) and the Corps Cdr been held responsible for the lapse of a Havildar or at the most, the OiC of the raid? Is it a clear case of vindictiveness or that of instant justice? You decide.