A retired Major General of the Army Medical Corps has been found guilty by a Summary General Court Martial (SGCM) for irregularities in the procurement of medical supplies valued at approximately Rs 11 crore. The misconduct occurred during his tenure as Commandant of a military hospital in Jammu.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the officer, identified as Major General Devendra Arora, has been cashiered from service and sentenced to one year of rigorous imprisonment. He was convicted on 16 out of the 18 charges brought against him under the Army Act.
The court-martial, which concluded in Udhampur, was presided over by Lieutenant General V Sreehari, General Officer Commanding, Dakshin Bharat Area. The proceedings were initiated on the orders of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command. The charges included numerous counts under Section 52(f) of the Army Act, pertaining to intent to defraud, and one count under Section 57(a) for making fraudulent statements. The SGCM acquitted the Major General of two charges.
The verdict is subject to confirmation by the convening authority. Major General Arora retains the right to appeal both the findings and the sentence to the convening authority and subsequently to the Armed Forces Tribunal. The officer, who has since retired, maintained his plea of not guilty throughout the trial.
Earlier this week, the Armed Forces Tribunal had directed that any findings or sentence handed down by the SGCM could not be implemented without its prior permission. The case stems from Major General Arora’s command of the 166 Military Hospital in Jammu, a period spanning from August 2018 to January 2020. The chargesheet alleges that he authorized the procurement of medical stores, including tablets, gels, ointments, dressings, and medical equipment, in quantities and at costs deemed excessive.
He was also accused of providing inaccurate information regarding the availability of medical supplies and vendors in Propriety Articles Certificates. These actions allegedly contravened provisions of the Defence Procurement Manual, 2009. The investigation into the alleged scam was triggered by an anonymous complaint. The Army initially ordered a preliminary inquiry, which was followed by a Court of Inquiry to thoroughly examine the allegations.
Following the conclusion of the Court of Inquiry in September 2022, disciplinary proceedings were initiated. The officer was subsequently attached to the headquarters of the 16 Corps at Nagrota while further action was pending. The prosecution at the court-martial was led by retired Brigadier Harish Mitra, with Major S S Pandey and Major Piyush Thakran representing the accused officer.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
