Any case of moral turpitude, corruption will be dealt with sternly: Army chief Bipin Rawat on Major Leetul Gogoi

Major Gogoi has been held accountable by a Court of Inquiry (CoI) for fraternising with the state local in spite of instructions to the contrary and for being away from the place of duty while in the operational area in the state.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Bipin Rawat on Tuesday took a firm stand on the case of Army officer Major Leetul Gogoi and said, "any case of moral turpitude and corruption will be dealt with sternly".

Major Gogoi has been held accountable by a Court of Inquiry (CoI) for fraternising with the Jammu and Kashmir local in spite of instructions to the contrary and for being away from the place of duty while in the operational area in the state.

The CoI on August 27 had ordered initiation of disciplinary actions against Major Gogoi. The two-member Court of Inquiry panel was formed to probe the matter and recommend what action should be taken against Major Gogoi if he was found guilty of involvement in any unlawful activity.

Speaking about Major Gogoi, General Rawat said, "I had clearly said that any case of moral turpitude and corruption will be dealt with sternly. A court of inquiry has been conducted which has recommended that we should go in for court-martial proceedings for whatever he has been found guilty of."

"Action will be taken based on his guilt that emerges from this. If it's related directly to moral turpitude then we'll take action accordingly. If it is something else then a punishment will be given to him according to the crime he has committed," he added.

A local court here on Saturday directed further investigations in the case and asked the police to submit a report by September 18.

Major Gogoi was detained by the Jammu and Kashmir Police from a Srinagar hotel with a local woman on May 23. He was allegedly involved in a brawl with the woman at the hotel.

He had courted a fresh controversy after he was arrested from a hotel in J&K's Srinagar with a woman. The CoI proceedings against Major Gogoi were initiated shortly after General Rawat assured an exemplary punishment if the former was found guilty.

Major Gogoi along with the woman was taken to a police station from where he was handed over to his unit. Police said that at 11 am they got a call from Hotel Grand Mamta about an altercation at the hotel.

This was not the first time Major Gogoi got embroiled in a controversy. He is the officer who had stirred a row in 2017 after photos had gone viral in which a local was tied to the bonnet of his vehicle in Badgam district to avoid stone pelting incident.