The Board of Inquiry that looked into charges of immoral conduct by the officer concerned while in Russia has completed its probe.
Defence minister AK Antony said that Indian naval officer Commodore Sukhjinder Singh will be removed from service with the presidential pleasure clause being invoked.
The Board of Inquiry that looked into charges of immoral conduct by the officer concerned while in Russia has completed its probe.
Antony was speaking on the sidelines of the C-130J induction ceremony at the Air Force Station Hindan. The clause to be used for the removal will be presidential pleasure. A retired army JAG (judge advocate general) told DNA that if this clause is not used, then the issue of a show-cause notice and an opportunity to reply is a legal necessity.
An inquiry was ordered after Commodore Singh’s illegitimate liaison with a Russian woman came to light. The incident took place in Russia, where Singh was posted as warship production superintendent from 2005 to 2007 for the refit work of the aircraft carrier Gorshkov.
At that time, India and Russia were engaged in a series of tense negotiations over the cost of the repair and refit, with Moscow insisting on a higher price that New Delhi flatly agreed to pay. Incidentally, the negotiations only ended last year with both sides agreeing to a final refit price of $2.3 billion. India had purchased the 44,570-tonne Gorshkov in 2004 for $947 million.
On his return to India, Singh remained connected with the project till 2009 at Naval Headquarters in New Delhi as principal director (aircraft carrier project). He was later attached to the defence ministry’s Directorate-General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) in Delhi, pending his inquiry.
The inquiry was held to ascertain whether Singh had in any way influenced the price for the refitting of the aircraft carrier along with the alleged charge of an illicit relationship with the Russian woman. The concern was that Singh had been “honey-trapped” to disclose India’s negotiating position in advance.
Singh will get his pension unless the dismissal order specifically states its forfeiture. d
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