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Regular-article-logo Thursday, 17 July 2025

MAJOR SACKED, STINK OF FOUL PLAY 

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FROM GAJINDER SINGH Published 09.07.01, 12:00 AM
Chandigarh, July 9 :    Chandigarh, July 9:  Kargil warrior Major Manish Bhatnagar was today dismissed from service for refusing to lead a team to reclaim a key point in the 1999 conflict, a couple of days after he moved the high court charging the army judge with 'tampering with proceedings'. A general court martial, hearing the case since January, found the officer from the 5 Para Regiment guilty of flouting military discipline and cowardice. The army court, however, acquitted Bhatnagar of the charge of disobeying Brigadier Devinder Singh to attack and reclaim Point 5203 in the Batalik-Yaldoor range for want of evidence. The prosecution could not produce any witness willing to testify that the major disobeyed orders to mount an offensive. Bhatnagar's counsel R. Bansal termed the verdict 'harsh and vindictive' and said the army court appeared to have acted on the orders of senior officials. 'They did not allow us to produce evidence and we have ample evidence against Major Bipin Chakravorty, the judge advocate, relating to tampering with proceedings. On Saturday, we moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court and I am hopeful we will get justice there,' Bansal said. Bhatnagar was charged with cowardice and wilful disobedience by the then GOC, 3 Infantry Division, Major General V.S. Budhwar, for insisting that his men were unfit to reclaim the crucial peak. Chakravorty found the officer guilty of making improper projections on the condition of soldiers on June 15, 1999, when he was ordered to launch the attack on Point 5203. Bhatnagar had apparently said that his 'troops are fit for defensive tasks and not offensive tasks'. In his defence, Bhatnagar said his men had just returned from duty on the Siachen Glacier and were tired and unfit for any offensive. The major alleged that he was being victimised as part of a conspiracy hatched by senior officers and claimed that his warnings of Pakistani intrusions were ignored by his bosses. In his petition in the high court, Bhatnagar has challenged the general court martial proceedings, alleging that it was not following proper army rules and that evidence had been tampered with. In his 72-page petition, Bhatnagar said the charges against him were 'bad in law as these have failed to prove that he disobeyed lawful command'. He said that Brig. Devinder Singh and two other senior officers, during their depositions before the general court martial, supported his contention that no orders were issued to attack Point 5203. In his petition, the major has said that the proceedings of the court martial should be set aside and an independent inquiry ordered to determine the truth. The petition states that the army court took advantage of the fact that evidence before a military court is not subject to judicial review.    
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