Former military general found guilty of land scam in eastern India

Former military general found guilty of land scam in eastern India

2011-12-04 17:29:37 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW DELHI (BNO NEWS) -- An Indian military court on Saturday convicted a former top military official for his role in a land scam in the eastern state of West Bengal, local media reported on Sunday.

Former Military Secretary Lt. Gen. Avadesh Prakash was found guilty on three counts by an army court in Guwahati in the northeastern state of Assam. The scam involved the transfer of 71 acres (28.7 hectares) of land adjacent to the Sukna military station in the town of Siliguri in West Bengal to a private realtor for the construction of an educational institution.

The court martial was conducted after Prakash was indicted by an army court of inquiry early last year for his role in the illegal transfer of the land. Prakash, who is the senior-most Indian army officer to face a court martial in recent history, was indicted for misusing his position, the Hindustan Times reported.

The army had earlier convicted another senior officer and former army commander Lt. Gen. PK Rath in the same case. They were punished through a loss of seniority and a part of their pension.

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