Army ration pilferage scam – INR50 billion

Lieutenant General SK Sahni

The Indian Army has ordered an inquiry after five of its soldiers posted in Leh were implicated in a scam involving sale of high altitude Army rations by a shopkeeper in the Chumathang market.
Army officials said strict disciplinary action is being taken against the soldiers after it came to light that they sold a few ration items in the civil market. "A shopkeeper in the Chumathang market was found selling a few items of high altitude ration meant for troops by Military Intelligence personnel in early July. The matter was reported to the civil police," an Army spokesperson said.
However, reports coming from Leh suggest the involvement of a bigger nexus involving pilferage and sale of high-altitude clothing and rations meant for soldiers posted at the Siachen glacier.
An agency report said a major scam involving military personnel has been uncovered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The report stated that the state police has registered 11 FIRs since July after finding jackets, boots and even parachutes being sold in markets in Leh district and arrested 31 people, including some shopkeepers, in this connection.
The report claims that the police uncovered the alleged involvement of several Army officers, including one of the rank of colonel. The recovery of high quality parachutes, trousers and jackets meant for use at high altitudes and Army boots in the Nubra Valley surprised police as most of the equipment were for soldiers deployed on Siachen.

For the first time ever, a Lieutenant General of the Army has been sentenced to jail - in fact three years rigorous imprisonment - by a court martial.

Lieutenant General SK Sahni, who retired in 2006, was accused of irregularities in procuring rations for soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir, who were stationed in Siachen and other high altitude areas.

Sahni was also indicted by a report of the Controller of Auditor General (CAG) which revealed that soldiers had been given wheat, rice, pulses and edible oil that was well past their expiry date.

Sahni has been found guilty on six out of nine counts he was charged for.

He is the second officer of Lieutenant General rank who has been court martialled after Lieutenant General PK Rath, who was court martialled in the Sukha land scam.

Lt Gen Rath was found guilty by an Army court of issuing the No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the builder, signing an MoU and not informing the Command Headquarters.