The army has initiated disciplinary action against a senior officer Col Deepak Raina for alleged negligence in the case of disappearance of top classified documents relating to army operations on the Indo-Chinese border.
Raina was holding the key post of colonel (general staff) at the headquarters of Tezpur-based 4 Corps when Lance Naik Javed Khan posted, as a clerk in his office, was caught for passing on classified documents relating to exercises on the Chinese border.
Khan was caught by the Guwhati police after some classified documents were recovered from his father, a retired IAF Seargent Mohammed Hanif Khan in July 2005, according to army officials in New Delhi.
Javed Khan was subsequently found guily by a general court martial, dismissed from service and sentenced to 14 years rigorous imprisonment on charges of espionage.
An army spokesman said Raina was not involved in espionage activities, but was being accused for his role in non-implementation of safety and security instructions on the handling of classified documents.
"Based on the court of inquiry, the general officer-in-command, eastern naval command, had directed disciplinary action to be also initiated against Col Deepak Raina," the spokesman said.
"Disciplinary action is being processed in accordance with army regulations in vogue," an army spokesman said refuting allegations that documents, which had gone missing pertained to "nuclear issue" or deployment of missiles on the Chinese border.
"If the officer is found guilty of charges, he faces punishment of dismissal or loss of seniority," army sources said.
They said the summary of evidence was recorded in the case.
The action follows instructions from army headquarters to clamp down hard on all cases relating to discipline as well as laxity.
Court martial proceedings are currently in progress in a case relating to largescale illegal sale of army liquor by the divisional commander posted at Bareilly.
