3 Navy officers being terminated for divulging secret info

, Apr 29: Three Navy officers are being terminated from service for divulging secret information on social networking websites such as

and the primary reason for these cases of indiscipline was "moral turpitude", the Defence Ministry has informed a Parliamentary panel.

It also told the Standing Committee on Defence that in three cases of face-offs between troops and officers in the Army, the forces have taken action against 219 officers, JCOs and jawans.

The case had come to light in September, 2011 and was examined by a Board of Inquiry after which four officers were tried. "All four officers have been found blameworthy. Three out of four officers have been recommended for termination of services. Action for termination of services of three officers is under process," the Defence Ministry told the Standing Committee on Defence.

The Ministry had submitted its report to the Committee on cases of indiscipline in the three Services. The fourth officer is being censured by the Navy Chief. The Ministry also informed the Committee that an officer of the rank of Commodore was found in a compromising position with a Russian lady and after being found culpable by a one-man inquiry, his services were terminated in April 2011.

The Ministry said the primary reasons for indiscipline cases in the Navy were "moral turpitude and temptation to misappropriate public funds for personal gains.

" Recently, there have been a number of cases where Navy officers are facing allegations of wife-swapping and some have been dismissed from service for sending lewd messages to several women and having affairs with the wives of their colleagues. The three cases in the Army include the cases of face-offs between officers and jawans in Gurdaspur, Samba and Nyoma in Ladakh.

PTI