'I was intimidated to sign a letter addressed to the Mumbai collector dated April 5, 2000, which was considered as the no objection certificate from the ministry of defence,' said Jog during cross-examination in the Adarsh scam.
“I was intimidated to sign a letter addressed to the Mumbai collector dated April 5, 2000, which was considered as the no objection certificate from the ministry of defence,” said Major General SS Jog during cross-examination in the Adarsh scam.
Jog said that he was pressurised by the then general officer commanding, Major General AR Kumar who allegedly shouted at him over the telephone to sign on the letter.
Jog, while being cross-examined by the state counsel Anil Sakhre in front of the two-member commission headed by Justice (retd) JN Patil probing the scam, also said that Kumar’s behaviour was dishonest. “The letter from the Mumbai collector, dated March 29, 2000, went directly to the general officer commanding, which is not army practice,” said Jog.
However, Sakhre asked him that why he didn’t mention this in his affidavit filed before the commission. Sakhre also questioned as to why was Jog’s handwritten minute sheet, which he allegedly wrote in a disturbed and anguished state of mind, was not mentioned in the affidavit. Jog replied that he had told this to his counsel, and had “anticipated” that it would come before the commission.
Replying to the question raised by commission counsel Dipan Merchant, Jog said that any land that is in possession of the ministry of defence is a defence land. He added that any such possession, whether authorised or otherwise, should be taken as that of the ministry.
Interestingly, the counsel of state and Adarsh cooperative housing society did not cross-examine Jog over his remark on the letter dated April 5, 2000. Jog had mentioned that this letter should not be considered as the no objection certificate given to the society.
The commission on Thursday, started with the cross-examination of lieutenant colonel Vikram Bhadauria, from M/s Garrisons engineers, the construction wing which maintains all the buildings under the charge of army and constructs new buildings for the army.
However, the cross-examination will continue on Friday as Bhadauria was not supported with adequate information, such as the list of documents, which are checked by the board of officers to give a go-ahead for the construction of a new building.
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