3 Indian Navy officers dismissed from service for divulging onsocial media

[RPK]

Three Navy officers are being terminated from service for divulging secret information on social networking websites such as Facebook 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.

The Ministry informed the Parliamentary Committee that in the case of face-off in Gurdaspur involving the 45 cavalry unit, "disciplinary action has been initiated against four officers, seven JCOs and nine jawans. Administrative action has been taken against five officers."

In the Samba case where troops and officers had clashed after the suicide of a jawan, "disciplinary action was directed against three JCOs and four jawans. Besides, administrative action was directed against four officers and five JCOs and administrative termination of service of five other ranks."

In the Nyoma incident, the Army has directed disciplinary action against four officers, 17 JCOs and 147 jawans.

The Ministry said the main reasons brought by the inquiries into these incidents are "poor man management" and "lapses in command and control".

The Ministry told the Committee that there were three General Court Martial cases in the IAF in last three years in which charges are mainly related to accepting illegal gratification and involvement in theft cases.


Read more at: 3 Indian Navy officers dismissed from service for divulging too much on social media : India, News - India Today

 

[Spring Onion]

Three Navy officers are being terminated from service for divulging secret information on social networking websites such as Facebook 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.


Read more at: 3 Indian Navy officers dismissed from service for divulging too much on social media : India, News - India Today

Dont know about Indian service rules in this case but just wanted to ask if the officer was found like that during duty or in private life?

if private life then can he be terminated ?

 

[Mech]

Dont know about Indian service rules in this case but just wanted to ask if the officer was found like that during duty or in private life?

if private life then can he be terminated ?

You basically sign off your civil liberties once you join the armed forces.

 

[Spring Onion]

You basically sign off your civil liberties once you join the armed forces.

yeh very right but can it be challanged legally in Indian courts?

 

[Awesome]

Thank god they didn't do this on PDF...

 

[Abingdonboy]

Dont know about Indian service rules in this case but just wanted to ask if the officer was found like that during duty or in private life?

if private life then can he be terminated ?

It was during his private life, so whilst off-duty. The Indian military has incredibly strict rules about interacting with foreigners and civilians whilst in service regardless of whether you are on duty or not. Look at the case recently of a IA officer wanting to marry a SL girl- he was dismissed because she refused to become an Indian citizen and renounce her SL citizenship. And yes, of course, they can be terminated- when joining the Indian military one signs away certain rights and agrees to abide by certain rules and regulations.


@Topic unfortunate that people have lost their careers over what they have posted on social media but those are the rules and it is good to know they are being enforced so rigorously.

yeh very right but can it be challanged legally in Indian courts?

No, by signing up to serve in the Indian military they agree to sign away certain rights, you can't just renege on this deal when it doesn't suit you. It is a legally binding contract.

 

[Spring Onion]

Thank god they didn't do this on PDF...

They cant be in compromising position with Russian lady on PDF.

It was during his private life, so whilst off-duty. The Indian military has incredibly strict rules about interacting with foreigners and civilians whilst in service regardless of whether you are on duty or not. Look at the case recently of a IA officer wanting to marry a SL girl- he was dismissed because she refused to become an Indian citizen and renounce her SL citizenship. And yes, of course, they can be terminated- when joining the Indian military one signs away certain rights and agrees to abide by certain rules and regulations.


@Topic unfortunate that people have lost their careers over what they have posted on social media but those are the rules and it is good to know they are being enforced so rigorously.



No, by signing up to serve in the Indian military they agree to sign away certain rights, you can't just renege on this deal when it doesn't suit you. It is a legally binding contract.

In that case the court allowed the office to marry the lady

 

[Jango]

In the military, you are always on duty.

Thank god they didn't do this on PDF...

KHayal rakho, kal ko koi Pakistani hi na mamla khara kar day

 

[Abingdonboy]

They cant be in compromising position with Russian lady on PDF.



In that case the court allowed the office to marry the lady

Actually the officer was discharged from the IA and then he was allowed to do whatever he liked. He is no longer serving in the IA and getting married to his SL fiance.

 

[janon]

Dont know about Indian service rules in this case but just wanted to ask if the officer was found like that during duty or in private life?

if private life then can he be terminated ?

The commodore mentioned there was found to be having a relationship with a Russian woman while he was (loosely) associated with the negotiating team for INS Vikramaditya. There is a strong possibility of conflict of interest, or accidental divulgence of his side's negotiating chips, in such a situation. It is for that reason that there are strict rules regarding relationships with somebody in a foreign country where he is stationed as part of his official duty. The Russian woman could have been an agent or spy sent by their team to gather information from our side before negotiations began. In general there are rules in any armed force, that its personnel cannot have relationships with the locals while he or she is posted there as part of official duty.

So if the commodore was on vacation in Switzerland and had an affair with a woman there, he would not have faced any unpleasant consequence. But he had this affair while stationed on duty.

About the first reddened part in your post: It's not the moral turpitude that caused their services to be terminated; it is the fact that they revealed classified information FOR THE PURPOSE OF moral turpitude. One possibility is that they bragged about secret stuff to impress a woman. (Like revealing that he was in the MARCOS, and was about to do a covert stint in Wular.)

Here is an article about "Honey trap". It's employment is ancient, and both sexes have fallen prey to it:

The History of the Honey Trap

 

[newdelhinsa]

Actually the officer was discharged from the IA and then he was allowed to do whatever he liked. He is no longer serving in the IA and getting married to his SL fiance.

Thanks for the info, I thought he is still serving.

 

[Abingdonboy]

One possibility is that they bragged about secret stuff to impress a woman. (Like revealing that he was in the MARCOS, and was about to do a covert stint in Wular.)

It could have been anything mate - posting pics inside a IN base, posting details of INS ARIHANT etc etc

 

[Star Wars]

Yea...these service personal are monitored 24/7 by NTRO and other agencies ..its pretty hard to escape once u mess it up....

 

[Cyberian]

In the military, you are always on duty.



KHayal rakho, kal ko koi Pakistani hi na mamla khara kar day

Pakistani, copy-cat to karein hi gain.

 

[janon]

It could have been anything mate - posting pics inside a IN base, posting details of INS ARIHANT etc etc

Yes, I know. I was only giving one example that came to mind. Even saying where he is posted presently can be potentially dangerous, if the info is seen by an informed spy or foreign agent. For example, if it is known that the fellow is a submarine warfare specialist, and he reveals on facebook that he is in place X - that can tell a foreign intelligence agency that a submarine base is being planned there, or that a sub has been moved there. The movement of our nuclear deterrent can be gleamed, if all its personnel bragged about it on facebook. Why send satellites or P-3s? The age old adage that "Loose lips can sink ships" is literally true for the navy!

A few years back, it used to be the case that serving officers were not allowed to access the social media at all. Now with social media becoming such a part of people's lives, I suppose they have changed the rules, and sensitized all the personnel about how to remain confidential. It seems that they are allowed to use social media, under strict instructions not to reveal anything official.