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Sukna scam: Indicted Lt General dissatisfied with CoIonel

Indicted by an Army probe in the Sukna land scam, former military secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash today voiced his dissatisfaction at the Court of Inquiry for not being given enough opportunity to defend himself.

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Indicted by an Army probe in the Sukna land scam, former Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash today voiced his dissatisfaction at the Court of Inquiry for not being given enough opportunity to defend himself.

"Yes. The COI is a fact-finding body and the Army Rule 180 allows the defence to produce witnesses also. The COI has allowed the prosecution to produce 22 witnesses and I have not been allowed to call a single witness," he told PTI here.

Prakash said this when asked for his response to the reconvened CoI and whether it was unfair to him in the case.

"The defence should also be allowed to call its witnesses to support their case. If the prosecution summons 100 people as its witnesses, then would I not be allowed to call any one of them as my witness?," he added.

Prakash also raised questions over the rejection of his plea by the Army to summon his realtor friend Dilip Agarwal as his witness in the COI.

"Are they trying to hide and shield something by not allowing him(Agarwal) to appear as my witness,?" he asked.

Citing Dilip Agarwal in the COI as his witness, Prakash said he was not linked with the case after the then 33 Corps Commander Lt Gen P K Rath declined his request regarding the proposal of Agarwal, who after that worked on his own to get the required permission.

"On February 06, 2009, there was a meeting of the West Bengal government to take a call on the issue. Do you think I could have influenced the West Bengal government also.

"That is why I want to produce Dilip Agarwal as witness because he has been in touch with the 33 Corps and the West Bengal government since then. He is the man who can bring evidences to the fore," he said.

Army's COI had blamed Prakash for influencing the former 33 Corps Commander for issuing the NoC and Agarwal is alleged to have benefitted by them by getting permission to build an educational institute on a 70-acre land adjacent to the Sukna military station in West Bengal.

Asked if General VK Singh, who as the Eastern Army Commander had reportedly recommended his dismissal, would be fair to him as Army chief, Prakash said, "I would not like to comment  on that but I would say that in that position one is expected to be objective."

On further action to be taken by the Army in his case, he said, "whatever the action be, let us face it. I have not heard anything from the Army. Its only the media which has been saying that Summary of Evidence will now be recorded."

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