President terminates service of Army Major following Army probe

Chandigarh: An Indian Army Major posted with a Strategic Forces Command (SFC) unit has been terminated by President Draupadi Murmu after an Army inquiry found the Major having involved in several lapses, compromising national security.

The President ordered the termination of the Major’s service, exercising powers conferred by Section 18 of the Army Act, 1950 associated with Article 310 of the Constitution, according to The Indian Express.

A Board of Officers, formed to probe the compromise of nation security by the officer, carried out the Army inquiry since March 2022.

The Strategic Forces Command authorized the Board of Officers to seize digital devices and conduct initial inquiry into the officer’s potential involvement in espionage activities.

The probe was directed to the officer’s ‘suspicious activities/social media violations/any security-related concerns, sharing/ leakage of classified info with unauthorised persons, suspicious financial transactions’, according to the report.

The Major was found to have kept a copy of secret documents on his electronic devices against the Army’s regulations. The officer was also found to have been in touch with a Pakistani intelligence operative through social media chats, the report said.

The officer’s friendship with other senior Army officials on a WhatsApp chat group called ‘ Patiala Peg’ was also probed.

The Army reportedly issued show cause notice to a Brigadier and a Lieutenant Colonel for administrative/disciplinary action over violation of social media policies.

The WhatsApp group, ‘Patiala Peg’ was suspected to have been infiltrated by a Pakistan Intelligence Operative (PIO); it was also probed if any classified information had been shared.