JAMMU: The army court awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment and dismissal from service to the two noncommissioned officers who were facing trial on the charge of mutiny, desertion and abetment here.
Both the accused, Hav. Hari Singh and Naik Sadhu Singh had deserted from the Sikh Regimental Center, Ramgarh on June 10 last year.
The sentences by the court martial presided over by Brig H.S. Lamba shall be subject to confirmation by the commandant in chief, Central Command, the court said.
The court found both the accused guilty of all the charges framed against them under various sections of military acts.
Earlier, the advocate judge, Mr. R.R. Kadyan, briefly summarized the prosecution and the defense counsel cases and evidence in relations to law on the subject.
Munity in the Army is considered the gravest crime in the conviction carries a death penalty. But the court, it appears, took a lenient view in consideration of the “emotional turmoil” and the “‘peculiar set of circumstances” which prompted the accused to desert.
The defense counsel, Supreme Court advocate, Mr. Rajinder Singh earlier pleaded that the accused did not desert their post voluntarily as they were simply swayed by the “tremendous” emotional earthquake, the consequence of the Golden Temple action.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 23, 1990
