Indian Army court-martials soldier who strayed across LoC during surgical strikes

Chandu Babulal Chavan, the Indian Army soldier who crossed the Line of Control during the surgical strikes, was court-martialed on Wednesday.

According to reports, the Army found him guilty and sentenced Chavan to two months imprisonment. The soldier’s pension for two years has also been forfeited. However, the Army said that the sentence has not been confirmed by the competent authority.

Though the soldier maintained that he inadvertently crossed the LoC, there were reports that Chavan had deserted his post during the surgical strikes carried out in September last year.

Pakistan had handed over Chavan in January this year. The soldier had returned through the land transit route of Attari-Wagah border. The BSF handed him over to the Army which took him to an undisclosed location.

The 22-year-old, who was posted with 37 Rashtriya Rifles, had surrendered to Pakistani forces, the Inter-Services Public Relations, Pakistan Army’s media wing had said in a statement.

They, in fact, alleged that the Sepoy crossed over willfully over ‘his grievances of maltreatment against his commanders’.

Chavan belongs to Borvihir village in Dhule district of Maharashtra. His grandmother suffered a cardiac arrest and died after the family was informed that he was captured by the Pakistan Army.