By IANS,
New Delhi : An Army Court of Inquiry (CoI) has recommended disciplinary action against 168 personnel, including the commanding officer of artillery unit, for the violent clash between officers and jawans near Nyoma in Ladakh in May last year, official sources said here.
They said the recommendations of CoI for disciplinary action against 168 personnel – four officers, 17 junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and 147 other ranks – had been confirmed by the Northern Army commander.
Officers and soldiers of the 226 Field Artillery Regiment, which was going through a month-long field training camp, had come to blows at the firing rage in Mahi near Nyoma.
The unit, based in Durbok in Ladakh, was conducting practice firing at the range on the night of May 10/11 last year when the scuffle broke out, leaving three officers including the commanding officer and some other ranks injured.
The CoI, held under Brig Ajay Talwar, recommended disciplinary action against the presonnel after finding them prima facie guilty for breakdown of discipline, failure of command and control and other lapses.
The sources said around 200 witnesses were examined by the CoI which submitted its report to the 14 Corps headquarters in Leh.
As per Army rules, the CoI will be followed by recording of summary of evidence and the personnel could face trial by a general court martial.
There have been instance of soldier-officer stand-offs in two key units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir last year.
Apart from Nyoma, there was instance involving 16th Cavalry regiment in the Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir in August last year when soldiers and officers clashed over the reported suicide of a soldier.