In a move that would send a strong signal to its ranks, the Navy dismissed a senior officer from service for grave misconduct.
A senior Commodore, who was serving at the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command at the Naval Base here, was summarily dismissed with penalties on pension and other benefits, after a Board of Inquiry (BoI) pronounced him guilty of “stealing the affection of a brother officer’s spouse,” a euphemism for having an affair with a colleague’s spouse.
The BoI was constituted by the Navy after the Commodore in question was accused by another Commodore at the Southern Naval Command of having an illicit relation with his spouse.
A Navy official maintained that stringent action was taken against the accused after it was established that he conducted himself in a way that was “unbecoming of an officer.”
“As a fairly senior officer, he was holding a responsible position [Chief Staff Officer (Operations)], at the Command, but erred in his conduct. The incident only reiterates the Navy’s zero tolerance towards misconduct and indiscipline,” he said. While the Navy found itself in rough weather with a series of untoward incidents involving its vessels last year, its reputation also took a beating following allegations of sexual misconduct against some of its officers.
