Coast Guard DIG to face court martial

New Delhi, August 14

Coast Guard DIG BK Loshali, who had contradicted government’s version of events in connection with the interception of a Pakistani boat in January, will face court martial proceedings from September after being indicted by a Board of Inquiry (BoI).

The BoI was instituted in February after the Coast Guard found Loshali’s reply to the show-cause notice issued to him “unsatisfactory”. The notice was issued to him over remarks that he had ordered the Pakistani boat to be blown up off the Porbandar coast.

The Board had submitted its report to the Coast Guard headquarters in April-end after which it was studied at various levels. “The BoI had called for strict action. The general court martial proceedings against Loshali will start in September,” a defence source said.

Asked about the content of the report, sources said unedited video showed that Loshali did make the assertion that he had ordered the boat to be blown up, contrary to the denial he made later.

They added “suitable action will be taken” and that he will face strict action. Loshali had contradicted the government’s claim that the crew of the intruding Pakistani boat had themselves set the vessel ablaze, leading to an explosion that caused the vessel to sink.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and the Coast Guard have consistently maintained the occupants of the boat had “self-destructed” after being chased by Coast Guard ships on December 31 night. — PTI