A Major General was on Friday dismissed from service without pension over a case of sexual harassment involving another officer of the rank of Captain. The dismissal was confirmed by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat after the court martial proceedings against Major General RS Jaswal recommended severe action in December.
The decision of the Chief of Army Staff was intimated to the Major General by the 2 Corps Commander Lt Gen MJS Kahlon in Ambala on Friday, officials said. The Army Chief had signed the orders for dismissal in July.
The alleged sexual harassment incident took place in late 2016 when the Major General was serving as Inspector General, Assam Rifles in Nagaland. The officer had denied the charges against him by the Captain-rank woman officer as the Judge Advocate General branch of the Army had filed a written complaint against Jaswal following which the court martial was ordered. During the court martial, Jaswal denied the charges and alleged that he became a victim of the Army’s factional feud following General Rawat’s appointment as the Army chief in December 2016.
The court martial held at the Western Army Command, Chandimandir, Chandigarh, found Major General Jaswal guilty under Section 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 45 (unbecoming conduct) of the Army Act. The court martial was headed by a Lieutenant General and had six Major Generals as members.
The woman had alleged that Major General Jaswal misbehaved with her. He allegedly used to call her to his room late in the evening for official work in Kohima in late 2016. It is learnt that the dismissed officer had played a role in the cross-border raids against insurgent camps in Myanmar in June 2015.