Pune: Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre on Sunday denied that Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan, who strayed over the LoC during the surgical strikes last year, had been court-martialled, saying instead that “disciplinary action” had been initiated against the soldier.
“One must understand that there has been no court martial in the first place … There is nothing wrong with him (Mr. Chavan) as a soldier … he is a good lad. But he committed three mistakes. I will not reveal in what condition he crossed the LoC as it would not be fair to the Army or to Chavan,” the Minister said, speaking in Dhule district.
Mr. Chavan’s first mistake, said Dr. Bhamre, was that he left camp without informing superiors. “His second mistake was that he took his weapons with him, and his third was to cross the LoC.”
Mr. Bhamre said the punishment following a court-martial cannot be a mere two-three months in jail, but is much more severe than that. He said media reports had distorted events of the proceedings against Mr. Chavan.
“Furthermore, his job in the Army is secure and he has not been thrown in any jail,” the minister said, stressing again that the Indian Armed Forces had merely taken disciplinary action against him.
Mr. Chavan, who hails from Dhule district’s Borvihir village, was handed over by Pakistan in January as a ‘goodwill gesture’. The Pakistan armed forces’ media wing had claimed that Mr. Chavan had wilfully crossed the LoC on September 29, 2016, and surrendered himself to the Pakistan army.
Last week, the Indian Army court sentenced Mr. Chavan, serving with the 37 Rashtriya Rifles, to two months’ imprisonment and forfeiture of two years’ pension as penalty, after the soldier pleaded guilty of deserting his post without permission.
Mr. Chavan’s grandmother had suffered cardiac arrest and had passed away after hearing that he was in the captivity of Pakistan’s armed forces. His family has said that he has already suffered enough during his time in Pakistan.
