Two Army Colonels Among 7 Booked For Assaulting Jawan Over Illegal Sale Of Liquor, Pune Police Investigating Case
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Khadki, 24th February 2022: An incident of an Army Jawan being taken to a Confinement Detention Cell over selling liquor to outsiders at expensive rates whilst buying it at a cheaper rate from a military canteen in Khadki has come to light.
The Jawan was allegedly threatened and taken to a Detention Cell where he was harassed. Based on a complaint from the Jawan, an FIR has been registered at Khadki police station against seven persons including two Colonels and five Jawans.
According to police, the incident took place at Gol Market in Range Hills on 6 July 2021. The case was registered yesterday at Khadki police station.
The military canteen provides all necessities to army personnel including liquor at a lower cost than market price.
As per the FIR, the complainant Jawan was on his way to the Range Hills Gol Market when the accused took him away and beat him. One of the officer hit him with an iron rod which injured the victim’s left knee and left arm. He was also given death threats which caused mental as well as physical harassment.
“I was falsely accused of illegal sale of liquor from military canteen. I was confined for 20 days illegally and beaten mercilessly.
My family was not informed”, he told police.
The case was registered yesterday for offences under sections 323, 324, 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Army refutes allegations
After the FIR was registered, the Southern Command of the Army issued a statement terming the allegations as frivolous.
The press release states, “On 06 Jul 2021, Naik rank Jawan was caught by Military Police red handed while attempting to sell Military quota liquor meant for defense service personnel in civil market. Following the legislated procedures, after preliminary questioning by Military Police, he was duly handed over to his parent unit in Khadki on the same day, after getting his medical examination cleared in Command Hospital, Pune, in a medically fit condition.
When investigated further, the Jawan was found involved in corruption and malpractices by his parent unit. An independent senior officer led inquiry found him guilty of serious corruption charges.
As an afterthought, the Jawan had submitted a complaint in Police Station Khadki on 16 November 2021 alleging torture by army officials. The Investigation Officer of the PS Khadki was then apprised of the factual position of the case, including the fact that few of the officials named in complaint were on leave and not present on duty. Allegations were also levelled against officer who was not even posted at the time of alleged incidence.
The Army maintains a zero-tolerance policy to indiscipline cases and has always been known for providing fair and just trials in all its cases. Military officials handling the case paid due diligence in investigation and handled the case as per the legislated procedures. It is iterated and clarified that at no point, the Jawan was manhandled and held in illegal detention. All the allegations levelled in FIR are frivolous and with malafide intent to derail the ongoing judicial process against the individual.”
