Navy to court martial officer for molesting a minor
A naval officer is going to be court-martialled for allegedly molesting a colleague's seven-year-old daughter. The incident happened earlier this year at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. A board of inquiry has found the commander prima facie guilty of "inappropriately" touching the kid at a party. She later complained to her parents about it.
What will happen to the accused now?
Earlier, the inquiry board sent him a show-cause notice, but the officer chose to be tried by court-martial, a source said. "If found guilty, he will be sacked and jailed. There is zero tolerance for sexual misconduct in the armed forces," they added. Though the accused has completed a one-year defence and strategic studies course from the DSSC, he won't be awarded a degree.
What is court martial?
Defence personnel accused of violating military laws are subjected to a trial, called court martial. Laws for each service (army, navy, air force) are defined separately. A court martial usually consists of five members. Amusingly, none except the judge advocate general is trained in law.
