For the first time, a serving Lt Gen, former 33 Corps Commander P K Rath, is set to face a court martial after being indicted in the Sukna land scandal for allegedly favouring a land developer. Lt Gen Rath, who is currently attached to the Eastern Command, will be the only serving officer of the rank to face court martial proceedings in the Armed Forces.

As first reported by The Indian Express, Rath and former Military Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Avadesh Prakash were indicted in the Sukna land scandal for issuing no objection certificates to a local developer, Dilip Agarwal, for building an educational institution adjacent to a military station, in violation of norms. An Army inquiry revealed that Prakash influenced Rath to give the developer the no-objection certificate, even though the same had been rejected by former officers due to security implications.

The Army has charged Rath and Prakash with intent to defraud and had commenced disciplinary proceeding against the two officers earlier this year. While Prakash has retired, his court martial is set to commence shortly after the Summary of Evidence (SOE) is recorded. In Rath?s case, the SOE has already been recorded and the court martial is to commence within two weeks.

Lt Gen Rath was found blameworthy by the Court of Inquiry for unduly favouring the developer to get clearances for a 70-acre plot of land valued at Rs 300 crore that was located adjacent to the 33 Corps HQ and close to vital installations like a helipad and other buildings.

Rath had been indicted for a sudden decision to reverse the Army policy from buying the land for security purposes to giving clearances to the developer. Rath overturned the decision not only against the recommendations of his junior officers, including his Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali, but also failed to inform his superior ? the Eastern Army Commander ? about the reversal. With two Lt Generals now facing court martial, one serving and the other retired, the Army will need to spare six officers of the rank of Lt Gen to hear and decide the matter.