Armed forces are answerable to govt, or it would be martial law: SC

Legal Correspondent 

New Delhi, October 28   

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking prosecution of ruling politicians on corruption charges for allegedly trying to take credit for the surgical strikes carried out by the Army on September 29 on terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) areas along the Line of Control (LoC).

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A Bench comprising Justices Amitava Roy and UU Lalit did not agree with the contention of the petitioner — advocate ML Sharma — that the armed forces were only under the control of the President and the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister should not have any access to information pertaining to the surgical strikes.

 “Armed forces are answerable to the government. Otherwise, you will have martial law in the country,” the Bench told Sharma.

The Bench also did not accept the petitioner’s plea that the PM and the Defence Minister talking about the surgical strikes amounted to corrupt practice requiring criminal proceedings against them.

“We do not find any merit in the petition,” the court remarked while dismissing it at the admission stage.