Lt Gen Rath withdraws plea
New Delhi, February 25Lt Gen P K Rath, former commander of 33 Corps, today withdrew petition against his court martial in the Sukna land scam from the Armed Forces Tribunal here.
Giving reasons for the move, Rath's counsel Ajit K Singh said his client withdrew the petition as the tribunal had already ordered reconvening of the Court of Inquiry (COI) in the case allowing Lt Gen (retd) Avadesh Prakash, former Military Secretary, to cross examine six witnesses.
“During the COI and cross-examination by Prakash, we will also get the opportunity to present our side. So, we will wait for the outcome of the COI and then take further decision,” he said.
Asked if the reconvening of the COI would delay court martial proceedings against him also, he said: “Nothing can proceed until the COI is over as we are also part of it.”
Rath's petition in the Delhi High Court, in which he had contended that he had been singled out in the case and the “offence” against him had been “prejudged”, was dismissed on jurisdiction issue earlier this month. Thereafter, he had moved to the Principal Bench of the AFT here.
The Eastern Command, headed by Army Chief-designate Lt Gen VK Singh, had initiated the COI against Gen Rath after the Cabinet Committee of Appointments had approved his elevation as Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Rath said in his petition.
Rath, along with Lt Gen Prakash, is facing court martial in the case that relates to no objection certificate being given by the Army to a private realtor to construct an educational institution on a 71-acre plot adjacent to Sukna military base in Darjeeling. — PTI
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