New Delhi, November 30
The CBI today booked a senior Army official and the wife of a Lt Colonel for allegedly misusing diplomatic passports. A junior officer was also booked on the charge of using official passports for human trafficking.
The FIR was registered against Brigadier H.P.S. Bedi, posted in Ceremonial and Welfare Directorate of the Army, Harleen Chadda, wife of Lt Col K.S. Chadda (in the same directorate) and Lance Naik Suresh Babu under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Indian Passports Act.
The CBI registered a case following a complaint made by the Defence Ministry requesting the investigating agency for a probe into the matter.
“...in view (of) the seriousness of the incident and the likely nexus between the Army personnel and criminals dealing with illegal immigration, the CBI is requested to register and FIR and take appropriate legal action against the perpetrators of the crime,” a letter from an under secretary of the Defence Ministry said.
In its FIR, the CBI has alleged that Brigadier Bedi allegedly furnished wrong information about his salary for obtaining a diplomatic passport.
According to rules, an officer of the rank of Major General and above is entitled to a diplomatic travel document.
The wife of Lt Col Chadda was booked on the charge of forging documents and changing the photographs from the diplomatic passport though she was not entitled to the same, they said.
The scam came to light when immigration authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport detained five people who were attempting to travel to Germany on fake official passports issued in the name of Army personnel.
Giving the background of the
case, the CBI said in October this year, an Indian Army band went to Germany to take part in the 13th Berlin Military Music Festival.
The team consisted of 42 personnel, including two officers. Besides, there were 10 reserve personnel in the team who did not undertake the journey but official passports were issued to all of them.
Earlier this year, the Army Band had visited Chile and Malaysia for which official passports were issued.
According to initial investigations, the complaint alleged that Babu, who had gone to Germany along with the military band, abused his official position and conspired with some other public servants and private persons, fraudulently obtained official passports and diverted the same to other people for illegal migration, they said.
The Army authorities have recovered 44 passports from Babu and Rs 1.2 lakh in cash along with the pages of Demi Official letter pads of senior Army officers, the FIR alleged.
The Defence Ministry, while turning down a request of the Army for an internal inquiry, had sought a thorough CBI probe into the incident.
— PTI
