Army court martial recommends sacking of NCO for harassment

Taking swift and strong action, an Army Court Martial has recommended dismissal from service and a one-year jail term for a non-commissioned officer (NCO) found guilty of sexually harassing a female Captain.
The incident took place last year when the lady officer had come to Sikkim for a river rafting course in the 17th Mountain Division area where she was staying in official accommodation. In the court martial convened by the 17 Mountain Division in Sikkim, the Havildar has been accused of using criminal force while attempting to outrage the modesty of the female officer belonging to the Military Nursing Service, Army officials said here.
The second charge against the NCO was that after forcefully entering the room of the officer, he made “sexually coloured” remarks, they said.
Once the incident happened, the lady officer managed to escape from the room and complained to the authorities there about the incident.
The Army authorities acted swiftly and the NCO was put through a trial process where he was found guilty.
The court martial took place in the 617 EME battalion in Sikkim and the jawan was recommended to face a one-year jail term along with dismissal from service last week.
The President Officer in the case was Lt Col Deepak Shahi, while the prosecution counsel was lawyer Akshit Anand.
The Indian Army has been very strict in cases of moral turpitude and financial misappropriation. In the last few years, several officers and men have been dismissed from service in these cases.