Ensure no officers-jawans clash in future: Antony to Army

New Delhi, May 13: Unhappy over the initial report, Defence Minister A K Antony has asked Army to take immediate "corrective" steps to see that incidents like the clash between jawans and officers at a firing range near the India- China boundary in Nyoma, Ladakh do not recur.

The Minister is understood to have expressed his displeasure to the Army top brass over the initial report that is said to have attempted a cover up on the clash that has raised questions over discipline in an important unit of an artillery regiment, highly-placed sources told PTI here.

He has now sought full details of the incident in Nyoma, they said.

The army had submitted a brief initial report about the incident to the Ministry on Friday evening, almost a day after the incident took place in the Mahe field firing ranges in Ladakh. Sources said army had attempted to describe the whole incident as only a minor scuffle between jawans and officers but no details were provided.

The army had yesterday said the clash between the jawans and officers near Leh was an "isolated act of indiscipline" and not a mutiny and that the media had "sensationalised" the incident. It also denied any arms and ammunition were used during the incident, saying, "The armoury has not been captured by the troops as is being reported wrongly."

The Army has ordered a Court of Inquiry into a scuffle that broke out between officers and jawans in Ladakh after the Ministry sought a detailed report from it on the incident.

Army sources said the officers and jawans involved in the clashes will now be attached to the CoI ordered by the superior headquarters and will face action.

The CoI is being headed by a Brigadier-rank officer. Sources said Commanding Officer of 226 Field Regiment Colonel Prakash Kadam has been relieved of his command duties in view of the incident and another officer has been given the charge.

However, Army sources denied any such move. Sources said there was also a possibility of the unit being disbanded after the completion of the disciplinary proceedings into the case.

PTI