Rath’s family vows to fight

Jan 24, 2011 |

IANS

SHILLONG

The family members of Lt. Gen. P.K. Rath, found guilty in a land scam, vowed to fight against the court martial verdict which stripped him of his rank and forfeited 15 years of his service. “As his family, we stand firmly behind him. He has served the nation. We have nothing to feel bad about. We will definitely not rest the till justice is done,” Lt. gen. Rath’s brother Pratap Kumar Rath said late Saturday. On Saturday, the General Court Martial (GCM) against Lt. Gen. Rath recommended taking “off the rank and the precedence of appointment” with substantive effect from May 24, 2010. In effect, his promotion in 2008 may now be considered effective from 2010. In his verdict, the GCM, headed by presiding officer Lt. Gen. I.J. Singh, recommended forfeiture of 15 years service of Lt. Gen. Rath for pensionary benefits, besides severely reprimanding him. The GCM will hand over their verdict against Lt. Gen. Rath to the ministry of defence for its final confirmation. “Let us first see the verdict in detail and we will decide on it,” Lt. Gen. Rath’s counsel Major S.S. Pandey said when asked if he would challenge it in the Armed Forces Tribunal, the apex appellate authority of the armed forces. However, prosecution counsel Raghavendra Jha said the punishment given by the court was “too lenient”. “He should have been given exemplary punishment considering that the court found him guilty on three charges. He could have been dismissed after he was found guilty of moral turpitude,” Mr Jha said. “As per the Army Act, Rath’s punishment should have been severe considering his service condition and his status as Corps Commander,” he said. “there is a possibility that the court may be asked to review its decision. If they (Rath) approach the ATF, then it may enhance its punishment if the evidences are on the record,” he added.

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