Army officer faces court martial over contact with Pakistani operatives

The nine charges levelled against him relate to the period when he was performing duties as General Staff Officer-1 at SD Directorate Army Headquarters in New Delhi. (File Photo)

A serving Indian Army officer posted at Army Headquarters in New Delhi is facing a court martial for contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives and having banned applications on his smart phone.

The Lieutenant Colonel is posted in the Staff Duties (SD) Directorate in Army Headquarters and is currently attached to 226 Company Army Service Corps (Supply) Type ‘G’. The nine charges levelled against him relate to the period when he was performing duties as General Staff Officer-1 at SD Directorate Army Headquarters in New Delhi.

The first three charges, framed under Section 45 of the Army Act (unbecoming conduct of an officer), allege that between December 24, 2019 and September 16, 2022 he was in contact with two numbers described as suspected Pakistan Intelligence Operative numbers and with ten Pakistan-based numbers beginning with the +92 country code.

He is accused of contacting a foreign national identified as ‘Anatoly’ between January 2020 and August 2022 without permission. The charge sheet does not itself record a finding of guilt. Under military law the officer is entitled to a trial before a court martial, where the prosecution must prove each allegation and the accused may defend himself.