Major Leetul Gogoi Found Guilty In Srinagar Hotel Case, Army Orders Disciplinary Action

New Delhi: The Army’s Court of Inquiry (CoI) Monday issued orders to initiate disciplinary action against Major Leetul Gogoi after he was seen with a local Kashmiri woman in a Srinagar hotel earlier this year. The court held him accountable for “fraternising with locals inspite of instructions to the contrary and for being away from the place of duty while in operational area”.

After the Corps Commander’s approval of CoI’s findings, Army authorities will frame charges against the officer citing relevant provisions of the Army Act. They can then decide to either punish the officer or convene a court-martial to try the officer.

A Court of Inquiry had been ordered against Major Leetul Gogoi following an altercation at a Srinagar hotel where he had shown up with a young woman and a man. The trio had been questioned by Srinagar police in May this year after an argument erupted at the Hotel Grand Mamta where the staff refused to let the woman in.

Police said the officer was later handed over to his unit. SP North City Sajad Ahmad Shah, who was asked by IGP (Kashmir) S P Pani to conduct an inquiry, said police were told that a room in the hotel had been booked in the name of Leetul Gogoi. On May 31, J&K police in its status report to a Srinagar court had said that “no case is made out against Gogoi and neither the hotelier nor the girl had filed any complaint.”

The inquiry is usually conducted as per Army regulations into any incident of indiscipline or controversial behaviour. The CoI, headed by a Brigadier, took the testimonies of Major Gogoi, other Army officers concerned besides checking documents dealing with the case.

Army chief General Bipin Rawat had earlier said exemplary punishment would be given to Major Gogoi if he was found guilty of “any offence” and “the punishment will set an example”.

Major Gogoi, last year, had created a row after tying a civilian to a Jeep and driving through several villages of Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir

Courtesy: The Indian Express