15 army personnel convicted in Ladakh clash

JAMMU: 15 army personnel have been convicted by a summary general court martial (SGCM) of "mutiny" in the infamous clash between officers and men of an artillery unit at Nyoma in Ladakh three years ago.

The personnel have been awarded various terms of rigorous imprisonment.

Army sources said the sentence, which was pronounced earlier this week, will come into effect only after being "approved by higher authorities", which in this matter would be Corps Commander.

The accused, all under officer rank, were charged under provisions of Section 37 of the Army Act, which deals with inciting, causing, joining or conspiring with other persons to cause mutiny, read with Section 34 of the Ranbir Penal Code (common intention).

The Army has already tried the unit's Commanding Officer and three other officers by court martial for alleged lack of command and control and assaulting a soldier.

They have been reprimanded and awarded varying degrees of loss of service for the purpose of pension, sources said.

In May 2012, a group of officers and jawans clashed following an incident of alleged molestation involving an orderly.

The clash took place allegedly after a jawan misbehaved with the wife of a Major who beat him up, sources said.